"Love it or Hate it... Wind Turbines are Going to be Here" - Vorpahl Fire and Safety Green Bay, Wi

Aug. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Vorpahl Fire & Safety did not build its business with commercial wind generation in mind, but it's one of many companies that consider that industry a key opportunity for expansion.

For the last few months, Vorpahl has sold protective gear designed for workers in the wind energy sector, including safety harnesses, hard hats, gloves, high-visibility vests and tool bags.

Wind energy is a market the business is banking on for continued growth in the coming years.

"We've been trying to figure out creative ways to break into other, untapped, segments, and wind energy came up because it is really big in other parts of the country and it's starting to catch on in Wisconsin," said Chris Vorpahl, marketing coordinator. "Love it or hate it … wind turbines are going to be here, and we want to provide the protection for the people maintaining, installing it and assembling it."

Throughout the area, sectors that are one or more rings down the supply chain from the manufacture of wind turbines are grabbing a piece of the burgeoning industry.

New North, a nonprofit economic development organization, is setting up an October event in Milwaukee aimed at identifying business opportunities in the wind sector, said Jerry Murphy executive director of New North.

The market for working with original equipment manufacturers — the wind turbine builders — is reaching maturity, and the best opportunities for business may be further down the supply chain.

"Those guys that are three or four or five layers removed from the … big turbine companies, I think that's where a lion's share of the opportunity is," Murphy said.

New North keeps a directory of about 300 businesses in the state able to support the wind industry, developed though the Wisconsin Wind Works initiative.

"Of the 300 … 167 of them reported they were active in the market," Murphy said. "That's pretty impressive over a three-year period of time — to go from no companies in the directory to 300 in the directory and more importantly that roughly half of them are actively participating in the market."

The American Wind Energy Association anticipates more than 70,000 new turbines will be erected in the coming decades, which it expects will place a heavy demand on the supply chain for parts, labor and equipment.

"The result is tremendous opportunity for new entrants into the industry," the organization states on its website. "There is also increasing demand for service industries, such as construction, transportation, legal, financial, safety, and operations and maintenance."

The domestic components in turbines and parts has increased from "less than 25 percent to 50 percent" since 2004, according to the association.

Patz Corp. in Pound may be best known for its farm equipment, including mixers and barn cleaners, but the business is working to break into the wind sector by contracting to manufacture parts for wind generation.

"We want to be a subcontractor. If they want us to build parts or components for them, we'd do that," said Jim Reed, industrial sales manager at Patz. "Wind industry right now is something that is hot. If you look, every day you'll see those towers going down the road."

The company has not yet worked for the wind industry, but it has a machine shop and laser-cutting equipment as well as fabricating and assembly capabilities.

"We're here if they want us to quote on jobs. We'll gladly do it" Reed said. "I don't know if it's going to be something big for us or not."

Protective Equipment for workers in the wind industry can cost more than $1,000 per person, Vorpahl said.

One of the keys for Vopahl is finding vendors making equipment specific to the wind industry.

A little closer to the epicenter of the wind explosion is Green Bay-based Synchrotek Inc., a builder of standard and custom variable-speed-input electric generators for the mid-sized wind generation market.

That market includes providing on-site wind power to businesses, churches or community centers.

"We like the idea of being involved in some sort of alternative energy market," said Jeff Taylor, president and CEO of Synchrotek. "There's a fair amount of growth opportunity."
Synchrotek is expected to ship its first 100-kilowatt generator this month and anticipates shipping additional units in January.

Synchrotek has three employees and expects to have as many as 15 employees in the next few years, Taylor said. Lindquist Machine is handling some of the final assembly on the units.

"We got it down to about five subassemblies right now, and we buy everything, except one component, within 50 miles of us," he said. "There are probably 50 or 60 parts that go into those subassemblies."

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Vorpahl Fire and Safety now offers a full range of PPE from fall protection, tool lanyards, to hi visibility ARC Rated clothing and gloves and EVERYTHING imaginable in between. There isn't a safety need that cannot be met by Vorpahl Fire and Safety. We have it all for Wind Energy!