Jupiter Group, a Denmark-based producer of wind turbine components, will open a new manufacturing facility in Junction City, Kansas.
The 41,000 square-foot facility is expected to create 120 wind jobs and $2.4 million in capital investment, the company said. Operations are expected to begin August 1, 2010.
Jupiter Group will use the facility to service various wind energy clients throughout the Midwest. The company cited Kansas’ central location in the North American Wind Corridor–as well as the state’s pro-business climate, skilled workforce and composites infrastructure–as key to the decision.
Jupiter will open the facility with 15-30 employees. The company plans to add as many as 100 additional employees over the next few years.
The project was facilitated by the Kansas Department of Commerce with assistance from the Junction City-Geary County Economic Development Commission.
Jupiter Group manufactures composite nacelle covers and spinners, as well as wooden kit structures used in wind turbine blades. The company is also a provider of interior and exterior parts, floors and toilet cabins for the train industry.
This announcement marks the third major wind energy recruitment for Kansas in the past year. In May 2009, Siemens Energy announced Hutchinson, Kan., as the site of the company’s first U.S.-based nacelle production facility, creating 400 new jobs and $35 million in capital investment. In December 2009, South Carolina-based Tindall Corporation announced it would bring a wind tower base production facility to Newton, Kan., creating 400 wind jobs and $66 million in capital investment.
Kansas’ wind generating capacity last year surpassed 1,000 megawatts, making Kansas one of the nation’s top 10 states for wind energy production. The state’s wind generating capacity has more than tripled since the beginning of 2008. This rapid increase in capacity, coupled with the state’s No. 2 national ranking for wind potential, has positioned Kansas among the elite states for wind energy production.
In reaching the 1,000-MW milestone, Kansas met Governor Mark Parkinson’s goal of producing 10% of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2010. The state has set a further target of 20% by 2020.
Last year, the Legislature passed a new incentive that authorizes up to $5 million in bond financing for eligible wind and solar projects in Kansas. Additionally, cost savings are offered to expanding businesses through the elimination of property tax on new business machinery and equipment, as well as income tax credits, sales tax exemptions and training assistance
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