http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.1115
quote:
West Fargo, N.D.-based wind tower manufacturer DMI Industries has formally acquired a building at 15300 Tiger Switch Road in Tulsa, Okla., for its new wind tower production plant, which is expected to be operational in early 2008.
In addition, the company says that it plans to employ about 450 people at the new plant and is currently seeking at least 200 employees to begin operations on opening day. DMI plans to hire the vast majority of employees locally, including welders, painters and steel plate rollers, as well as general management, supervisory, human resources and administrative personnel.
Tulsa employees will be trained on-site and in the company's West Fargo and Fort Erie facilities. When it is economically feasible, DMI adds, the company will engage local and regional suppliers to meet the plant's day-to-day operational needs.
The Tulsa plant will feature half a million square feet of production space. According to the company, DMI's annual tower production from the Tulsa plant and two existing facilities will support a total of more than 3,000 MW of installed wind project capacity, based on today's tower and turbine technologies and designs.
(that is about Apache and 145th)
This has been in the works for a long while, they had a contract on the building for about 6 months now. This should be a top notch company offering good manufacturing jobs as well as management and possibly engineering positions in the future. It is also designed to utilize the Port as it will be able to manufacture turbines for the Gulf.
A birdie told me there might be a major wind project going in North and West of Tulsa. Cross your fingers, it could be very good for the area's image. Everyone loves green power all of a sudden.
Thats old news.[;)] They have already started hiring. http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=134312
And just to be picky. Its not a Wind Power Factory. This facility will just build the poles. The "towers" only, not the turbines, blades, etc. I believe the facility once, and may yet, made poles for other uses like cell phone towers. I dont even think the company that bought the facility makes wind turbines, etc. they just make one part, the "pole".
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Thats old news.[;)] They have already started hiring. http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=134312
And just to be picky. Its not a Wind Power Factory. This facility will just build the poles. The "towers" only, not the turbines, blades, etc. I believe the facility once, and may yet, made poles for other uses like cell phone towers. I dont even think the company that bought the facility makes wind turbines, etc. they just make one part, the "pole".
Old news? you linked to a story from yesterday.
Here is the link to a map that shows the wind energy potentil in Oklahoma.
http://www2.ocgi.okstate.edu/website/owpi2/viewer.htm
The wind in the eastern half of the state does not blow consistent enough for power generation.
But isnt this the ill fated Griffin Wheel plant that East Tulsans have already paid the opportunity cost, for?
quote:
Originally posted by recyclemichael
The wind in the eastern half of the state does not blow consistent enough for power generation.
That was my understanding too... but I have credible sources that tell me they are considering major wind development in NW Osage county and into southern Kansas. Not saying it is a sure thing, but there are very credible groups with money and federal support looking into it.
and you are correct that it is only a tower manufacture, not the turbines themselves. However, the original article mentioned the port as a significant reason for locating here. It gives them export potential.
http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/7537
According to the map RM linked to, the wind potential in north-northwest Osage County is quite good (if you look close, there's a smidge of red up there for the highest range, and plenty of pink).
So it would make sense to put turbines up there.
You are right. I didn't see that little amount of red.
Location to market is important because of transmission loss.
quote:
Originally posted by Aa5drvr
But isnt this the ill fated Griffin Wheel plant that East Tulsans have already paid the opportunity cost, for?
Yes, I understand they are completing that facility but how did East Tulsan's pay the opportunity cost for the never completed Griffen plant?
From my review DMI is a class act a and a welcome assent.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Thats old news.[;)] They have already started hiring. http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=134312
And just to be picky. Its not a Wind Power Factory. This facility will just build the poles. The "towers" only, not the turbines, blades, etc. I believe the facility once, and may yet, made poles for other uses like cell phone towers. I dont even think the company that bought the facility makes wind turbines, etc. they just make one part, the "pole".
Old news? you linked to a story from yesterday.
I know. I wasnt going to dredge up stories from months ago. Showing the company may be moving, did purchase, was getting the facility ready,... Its obvious those things have to happen before you hire people, aka the story from yesterday.
Its also old news because people were arguing about it in threads months ago and talking about it moving to the facility and how it could make wind energy more likely in the area. (which I argued it would not) Then we hear about them finally getting to the point of them hiring. Then you post a new thread on here about them aquiring a building as if that were the new news.
Here is an older story if you want. http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=126555
This is great news about great jobs for a great company with a great mission. This is the kind of businesses that Tulsa should focus on attracting. Look, I'm cheer leading.
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by TheArtist
Thats old news.[;)] They have already started hiring. http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=134312
And just to be picky. Its not a Wind Power Factory. This facility will just build the poles. The "towers" only, not the turbines, blades, etc. I believe the facility once, and may yet, made poles for other uses like cell phone towers. I dont even think the company that bought the facility makes wind turbines, etc. they just make one part, the "pole".
Old news? you linked to a story from yesterday.
I know. I wasnt going to dredge up stories from months ago. Showing the company may be moving, did purchase, was getting the facility ready,... Its obvious those things have to happen before you hire people, aka the story from yesterday.
Its also old news because people were arguing about it in threads months ago and talking about it moving to the facility and how it could make wind energy more likely in the area. (which I argued it would not) Then we hear about them finally getting to the point of them hiring. Then you post a new thread on here about them aquiring a building as if that were the new news.
Here is an older story if you want. http://kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=126555
One additional comment is that even though they just build poles, wind turbines are assembled on site so there is no true "factory" in that case.
>>wind turbines are assembled on site so there is no true "factory" in that case.
Thats the way of the world.
Just got back from seeing the 787 Dreamliner at the Boeing factory.
Boeing has 2 and soon will have 4 modified 747 "Dreamlifters" to haul components from all around the world for final assembly in Everett, WA.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Boeing_747_LCF_N747BC.jpg)
One thing a Boeing official told us was that by buying all of the components from around the world and then doing final assembly, the product liability costs are spread among these many supplier partners as he referred to them.
One thing on Boeing spec sheet for the 787 assembly facility (that Tulsa wanted ala V2025) was a deep water port which they have in Everett. After some consideration, the time in transit issues vs inventory cost dictated that it was cheaper to fly the components in from all over the world than to have them on the high seas for weeks.
So the deep water port became a non issue. Although there ARE indeed a bunch of ocean containers at the boeing plants, in Everett and Renton.
As far as DMI goes, good for them and best wishes.
quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588
According to the map RM linked to, the wind potential in north-northwest Osage County is quite good (if you look close, there's a smidge of red up there for the highest range, and plenty of pink).
So it would make sense to put turbines up there.
There is a producing wind farm just a 100 miles NNW of here. It is located 5 miles S of Beaumont Kansas (45 miles east of Wichita) on a large cattle ranch. Now that country looks the same as the Osage, has similar interests with cattle, wide open spaces, and oil and is in the same type of terrain (lower end of the flint hills) so maybe...
Google Earth has pics.
Factory doubling in size, ahead of schedule:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20081002_49_E1_Awleok949146
quote:
Factory plans big expansion
by: KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer
10/2/2008 12:00 AM
DMI Industries, which makes wind turbine towers, aims to add 225 jobs by mid-2009.
DMI Industries, a maker of wind turbine towers, will double its work force and expand operations at its Tulsa factory.
DMI plans to add about 225 jobs by the middle of 2009, capitalizing on a booming wind energy industry as the country faces higher energy prices.
"Certainly, the demand for wind energy is helping us grow," said John Erickson, the CEO of DMI's parent company, Otter Tail Corp. of Minnesota. "As a nation, we only use about 1 percent wind energy now and many think it will grow to 15, 20 or 25 percent."
The Tulsa factory makes the 300-foot towers that hold wind turbines for companies such as General Electric.
U.S. Rep. John Sullivan of Tulsa and Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Natalie Shirley joined company officials for the announcement Wednesday.
The move comes sooner than expected for a company that entered Oklahoma just over a year ago.
DMI purchased a buildling planned for Griffin Wheel — a railcar manufacturer that never moved in — off of Interstate 244 last August and opened the factory in March. The first tower from Tulsa shipped in May.
Erickson said the demand for the wind towers was immediate after the factory opened.
The industry has been especially busy in recent months with support from investors such as the oil magnate Boone Pickens. The centerpiece of his Pickens Plan involves supplanting the natural gas used to generate power with electricity from wind turbines, then using the natural gas to fuel vehicles. Pickens has invested more than $2 billion in turbines for a wind farm in the Texas Panhandle.
DMI Industries uses about 300,000 square feet of the factory, but it plans to expand to take up the site's entire 500,000 square feet.
DMI President Stefan Nilsson said the company had always planned to expand operations in Tulsa, but the plant's success speeded that up.
With the expansion, DMI will have about 450 employees in Tulsa.
The factory's general manager, Kevin Ishmael, said DMI would need to hire hundreds of workers, especially for skilled positions such as welders.
DMI will also expand capacity at its factory in West Fargo, N.D.
The combined expansions will cost about $30 million.
Kyle Arnold 581-8380
kyle.arnold@tulsaworld.com
If the city ever throws more money at a private industry, let it be this one.