HOWARD, S.D., Jul 12, 2006 -- BUSINESS WIRE

 

With economic incentives provided by the State of South Dakota and Miner County Community Revitalization (MCCR), Knight & Carver Wind Blade Division is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement to lease and operate a 26,000 square foot wind blade repair and manufacturing facility in Howard, South Dakota.

Under terms of a five-year lease, MCCR will build the facility to suit Knight & Carver's specifications and needs.

Ground-breaking for the facility, part of Howard Industrial Park, is expected by mid-July. The building's site has been cleared and leveled, with construction scheduled to begin within a month or so. Full-scale blade production is scheduled to begin in November.

Announcement of the contract was jointly made by Gary Kanaby, Division Manager of Knight & Carver Wind Blade Division; MCCR Executive Director Randy Parry; MCCR Economic/Housing Director Mike Knutson; and the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development.

Howard, a rural community of around 1,000 residents, is located in the state's southeast corner, about 65 miles from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Working closely with state officials, Howard's community leaders have been aggressively seeking to attract out-of-state business to the region, to create jobs that provide an economic boost to the local economy. The new wind blade facility is expected to hire 10-25 full-time employees, and projected to employ 46 people within the first three years.

"This is a significant step forward for our company," said Kanaby. "It will allow us to provide better service at a lower cost to our current and future customers. We are very grateful to the many South Dakota and Miner County officials who have provided such generous incentives. We are indebted to MCCR and truly appreciate all of its hard work and dedication toward getting this project off the ground."

When completed, Knight & Carver's 75' x 220' main manufacturing bay will be equipped with an overhead crane and will serve as an all-weather production facility. In addition, the building will offer space for the storage and preparation of materials to fabricate blades; a garage to house the company's service vehicles; and a full-service paint booth, large enough to paint large wind blades. The facility will also be used as Knight & Carver's Midwest regional repair facility.

SOURCE: Knight & Carver

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