Windmill blade maker cuts 150 jobs in Little Rock

The expectations for Arkansas job growth related to the national wind energy sector became less certain Tuesday (Jan. 6) when LM Glasfiber announced layoffs of 150 at its new windmill blade manufacturing plant in Little Rock.

Officials with the Danish company announced in July 2007 they would build the plant in Little Rock, and opened it in October 2008, employing about 630 at the time.

The company explained the layoffs in a statement: “The credit crunch is now causing project delays in developer’s wind projects due to more difficult financing conditions. As a natural result we must take necessary steps to keep the company on the road to a solid, sustainable future. The long-term outlook for wind is strong and the U.S. is still the world’s number-one wind energy market. We’re confident that the long term demand will rebound, and the difficult decisions being made today will help put us in the best position to ramp back up when it does.”

Arkansas also is home to other windmill manufacturing operations. In early October Polymarin Composites, an international wind turbine blade manufacturer, announced plans to locate a new North American factory at the old Levi’s plant in Little Rock.  In addition, Wind Water Technology, a supplier to Polymarin, said it would locate in the same facility. All told, 830 jobs averaging $15 per hour will be hired over the next four years, according to the initial announcements.

Gov. Mike Beebe recently hinted that yet another windmill manufacturer is looking at Arkansas.

Link here to the full report from our content partner at Talk Business.