Company to build new plant in Howard

Reprinted from Madison Daily Leader
By Elisa Sand
November 16, 2006

Building construction isn't completed, but the first wind turbine blades will be transported to Knight & Carver in Howard next week.

Damaged blades from Vermont and unbalanced blades from Iowa will start blazing a trail to the prairie three at a time on extended semi-trailers.

In July, San Diego Bay-based Knight & Carver announced it would be opening a wind blade manufacturing company in Howard.  Within that same month, the company held a ground-breaking signifying the beginning of construction, which was to be completed earlier this fall. 

From the outside the 16,500 sq. ft. building looks complete, but office space, electrical work and the paint booth installation are yet to be done.  The construction of the roof, ironically was delayed by high winds.

Regardless of construction delays, the excitement about the start of manufacturing is evident, said Scott Finck, plant manager.

"I'm excited to be on the upstart of the new building and that type of production vs. a production line its way out," said Finck.  "I managed and closed a plant (May & Scofield in Madison);  now I can get one started."

The first blade balancing work will be done by a team coming from San Diego Bay, but the first employees for Howard's newest company will be hired in teh coming weeks.

Eventually, the Howard plant will begin production of the STAR blade, which stands for Sweep Twist Adaptive Rotor.  The blade is a government-funded prototype blade that has been developed to take advantage of lower wind speeds.  The blade is constructed with a curve or twist that is engineered to capture electricity at lower wind speeds.

Finck said the blades can start generating electricity with an 8 mph wind and create 5 to 10 percent more electricity.

Miner County Community Revitalization Executive Director Randy Parry said that Knight & Carver will work with companies across the country, as well as Energy Maintenance Services in Howard, which reconditions gear boxes for turbines.

"EMS has blade work for Knight.  "If we can continue to expand the relationship around the country with EMS and Knight & Carver, it will benefit the whole state."

Knight & Carver is projected to have 10-25 full-time employees immediately and an additional 20 employees within the first three years.

Knight & Carver began operations in 1971 as a yacht construction firm and expanded to wind blade development in 1997.  Finck said that although the company has been repairing and balancing wind blades for some time, construction of large-scale wind blades is a new area.

Construction of the Howard facility for the company's wind-blade manufacturing division was a combined effort of MCCR, the Governor's Office of Economic Development, Heartland Consumers Power District and USDA Rural Development as well as other groups.