Demand for wind power quickens plans to add 200 jobs at Tulsa plant

By Debbie Blossom

Published: June 4, 2008

TULSA — Increased demand from the growing wind energy industry has pushed up expansions at a Tulsa wind power manufacturing plant that only began production last December.

DMI Industries, based in West Fargo, N.D., announced Tuesday it will expand both its Tulsa and North Dakota plants immediately, increasing capacity by 100 percent in Tulsa and 40 percent in West Fargo.

And the company plans to add 200 more jobs in Tulsa.

Customer demand for wind towers is so strong the expansions were needed to complete orders on into 2010, said Stefan Nilsson, DMI president.

"With multiple locations, DMI is exceptionally well-positioned in the high-growth wind energy industry,” Nilsson said. "Both facilities will begin their projects immediately, and increasing their capacities also requires an investment of approximately $30 million and the employment of an additional 350 or more skilled workers.”

At the 500,000-square-foot Tulsa plant near the Port of Catoosa, between $10 million and $11 million will be spent to add more equipment and use about 200,000 square feet of unused space, said general manager Kevin Ishmael.

"We will expand our fabrication line, and we will be adding about 200 more jobs,” he said.

The plant currently employs 200, and the first shipment of wind towers was shipped out to north Texas just last month, he said.

DMI already is working with two Tulsa staffing companies to fill jobs, Ishmael said. "The allure is being part of something brand new,” he said. "There is a lot of excitement working here.”

Anticipating the push, Ishmael said planning on the expansion actually began about a month ago.

"We have several customers looking for long-term contracts stretching out to 2012,” he said.

DMI Industries, formerly Dakota Machine Tool, was bought by Otter Tail Corp. in 1990. Otter Tail, with offices in Fergus Falls, Minn., and Fargo, N.D., has interests in numerous industries including electric utility, plastics, manufacturing, health services, transportation and construction.

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