Arkansas lands another wind energy company

Another wind energy company has decided to set up shop in Arkansas, with Osceola the potential beneficiary of up to 500 jobs.

Beckmann Volmer announced Thursday (May 20) it’s plans to build a manufacturing operation that will supply turbine frames to the Nordex wind-turbine manufacturing plant in Jonesboro.

Beckmann said it will invest $10 million in the new plant and initially employ 300 at an average wage of $18 per hour.

“We are delighted to call Osceola, Arkansas our new home,” Bernd Volmer, managing director and co-owner of the company, said in a statement released by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “After a thorough search considering more than 100 possible locations in the Midwest and South, we believe that we have found the best place for us to set up shop.”
 
If all goes will, company officials may consider an additional  $7.5 million investment that would add 200 more employees.

“Beckmann Volmer is the latest international company to select Arkansas as the home for its North American operations, and their commitment will bring quality jobs to Mississippi County,” Gov. Mike Beebe said in the statement. “Our stature in the renewable-energy sector continues to bring this type of economic investment to Arkansas.”
 
Beckman Volmer is headquartered in Germany and also has operations in Poland and China.

In the past two years, four windmill-production companies have located in Arkansas with more than 2,550 direct jobs expected from the new operations. Those operations are:

• Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas announced Oct. 16, 2009, it will build a $100 million wind turbine manufacturing plant on 90 acres at Fort Chaffee that will employ up to 400 once fully operational.

• Denmark-based LM Glasfiber opened in 2008 its windmill plant at the Port of Little Rock. The company expects to invest $150 million in Little Rock and announced a target employment of at least 630.

• Nordex USA Inc. announced in October it will build a $100 million wind turbine plant in Jonesboro. The operation is expected to employ 700 people in Jonesboro.

• Polymarin Composites USA and Wind Water Technology jointly announced a $20 million investment in a shared location in Little Rock. Both companies make windmill blades and turbines and are expected to hire about 830.