More on Innovation in Manufacturing
Timing is everything, it seems, and right on the heels of our last post comes this from Energy Central News:
“When 1,800 workers lost their jobs after a Maytag appliance factory and headquarters closed last year in the small town of Newton, Iowa, a wind-turbine-blade company saw opportunity — an available, skilled work force in the middle of one of America’s hardiest wind energy production regions.
“TPI Composites Inc. is building a new plant there as the energy industry aims for a cleaner, more sustainable future. With proper incentives, thousands of “green-collar jobs” could be created, from ethanol production to wind turbines and solar panels, and all the maintenance and construction to support them, industry officials said.
“TPI used to build boats, but switched to turbines in 2001 for the “major growth opportunity,” said Steve Lockard, chief executive officer of the company, based in Phoenix. The idea, he said, is to “transform the work force away from the Maytag-type jobs of the past into jobs that can withstand the test of time going forward.”
“However, advocates and executives say training is key to making sure the industry has enough skilled workers to make it into a real economic engine and are pushing for more lucrative tax breaks, much like oil companies already receive, to make it profitable.”
The rest of the article is onmy available to registered users, but the implications for Northeast Ohio should be clear–as we move ahead with the offshore feasibility study, we already know we have a strong wind manufacturing components industry here. Maybe it’s time to ramp up our efforts to establish Northeast Ohio as a major wind manufacturing center, from components through finished products.