The 2.4 MW turbines, on 91 meter towers, will be located on 21,000 acres near Ithaca, Mich., about 45 miles north of the state capital of Lansing. The electricity generated by the project, sufficient to power more than 27,000 homes, will be supplied to Consumers Energy of Jackson, Mich., under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Work will start on the site in May in preparation for delivery of the turbines beginning in September of this year. Nordex will be responsible for delivery, installation, commissioning and testing of the turbines and will provide ongoing maintenance under a 20-year premium service contract.

According to Nordex, the wind turbine producer has both completed and planned installations totaling 626.6 MW of its multi-megawatt range of turbines in locations across the country including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Idaho, Colorado, and Texas.

-Bill O’Leary

“Solar Energy International is delighted to have the opportunity to work with PTL Solar of Dubai,” said Johnny Weiss, advising co-founder of SEI. “As an educational non-profit organization, we look forward to contributing to PTL Solar’s efforts to provide renewable training throughout the region through their innovative and professional Solar Academy.”

For more information on the solar training in Dubai, visit www.ptlsolaracademy.com.

Solar Energy International makes solar training history in Dubai. -SEI Photo

Within the UAE, Dubai has an ambitious target to achieve 5% power generation through solar energy by 2030, according to SEI. The Supreme Council of Energy recently launched the HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park designed to provide photovoltaic power of 10 MW by 2013 and 1,000 MW by 2030.

Since 1991, SEI has been dedicated to hands-on and online solar training and renewable energy education in solar, wind, micro-hydro, and developing world technologies. The group also works with grassroots and development organizations to promote sustainability and improve quality of life worldwide through viable outreach programs. Along with UAE, SEI’s renewable energy training locations have included Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, and Sierra Leone, as well as many U.S. states over the last 20 years. Visit www.solarenergy.org for more information on hands-on  workshops, online training, and outreach for a sustainable future.

PTL Solar Academy is a non-profit educational entity that provides fundamental and hands-on training in renewable energy technologies and creates awareness to the wider community so they can make a responsible difference to be the change in powering sustainable growth.

SEI Photo

-Bill O’Leary

Kwok joined AOS in October 2005 as CFO.

“Ephraim played an instrumental role in leading our financial organization during the past six years,” said Dr. Mike Chang, chairman and CEO for the company.  ”He led our successful IPO efforts in 2010, as well as other financing and acquisition of APM, our in-house packaging facility, and more recently, the acquisition of the IDT fabrication facility. He left the company with a strong balance sheet and well positioned for future growth.”

Mary Dotz brings over 28 years of finance, accounting and business experiences to AOS. Most recently, she was CFO of Adaptec, a global provider of storage products, where she managed all aspects of finance, accounting, investor relations, legal and information technology  and led the successful completion of major restructuring and strategic transactions. Prior to Adaptec, she served as CFO of Beceem Communications, Inc., a provider of chipsets for the WIMAX market that was later acquired by Broadcom. Dotz holds a B.S. degree in business administration from San Diego State University and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Southern California.

–Bill O’Leary

With a year-t0-date total of $5,508.81 million, 2011 was up 66.4% compared with 2010. These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“USMTO finished its strongest year in more than a decade as manufacturing led the U.S. recovery into 2012,” said Douglas K. Woods, AMT president. “The 67 percent increase is nearly 20 points higher than forecasters predicted, which is great news in terms of reducing the foreign trade deficit. Manufactured goods represent more than 65 percent of trade, so the rise of U.S. manufactured products will help reduce our reliance on imports and support growth in exports.”

The USMTO report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment

-Bill O’Leary

Konigsberg is a 30-year budget and policy veteran who will use his bipartisan experience to help bolster the NEMA leadership team with a public policy focus. He will work to enhance the association’s efforts with Congress, agencies, and regulators to promote partnerships that further energy efficiency, Smart Grid, high performance buildings, and medical imaging.

Konigsberg has served in senior level positions in the U.S. Senate and White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  He was general counsel and chief health counsel at the Senate Finance Committee under Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY), a staff attorney at the Senate Budget Committee  for Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), the assistant director of OMB in the Clinton White House, and director of congressional and inter-government affairs at the Corporation for National and Community Service in the George W. Bush administration.

NEMA is a Rosslyn, Va.-based association of electrical equipment and medical imaging manufacturers.

-Bill O’Leary

The webinar will take place Friday, February 24, 10:00-11:00 A.M. PT. Click here to register.

Visitors can learn how to implement a successful business strategy that attracts government subsidies and how to prepare their business for when funding runs out. Topics include how to attract government subsidies so you can kick-start your electric vehicle business, how to prepare for when government funding runs out to ensure your business’ lucrative future and results from electric vehicle roll-outs so you can apply successful strategies to your business plan.

Speakers include Brendan Jones, director of Nissan LEAF Marketing & Sales Strategy, Nissan North America, Inc. and Tonia Buell, project development and communications manager, WS DoT.

-Bill O’Leary

Grant will be responsible for building, growing and nurturing ISA’s social media communities on major social networks including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, LiveStream, YouTube and Flickr. She will be a lead contributor to ISA Interchange, the organization’s news-and-blog website.

A vice president of Telesian Technology, Grant has more than 20 years of experience developing marketing strategies for high-technology and industrial automation companies. She is a recognized speaker and author on business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategies and tactics, including integrated marketing, online marketing and social media.

Founded in 1945, ISA is a global, non-profit organization that helps over 30,000 worldwide members and other professionals solve technical problems, while enhancing their leadership and personal career capabilities. Based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., ISA develops standards, certifies industry professionals, provides education and training and hosts conferences and exhibitions for automation professionals.

-Bill O’Leary

Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures, the Belding, Mich.-based manufacturer of specified fiberglass enclosure products, has announced a complete re-design of their website that’s now available to view at www.stahlin.com. The “upgraded” site showcases a search function that enables user to quickly and accurately identify what fiberglass, PVC, or polycarbonate enclosures are best suited for a diversity of applications. It also features CAD/PDF product files (both 2-D and 3-D), online submittal forms, quotation request forms, product specific literature, technical information plus detailed sections focused on enclosure formulations, materials and proper enclosure installation techniques. A Sales Representative locator that allows users quick reference for nearby product support is also included.

Leviton, a global manufacturer of electrical devices, data center connectivity products and lighting energy management systems, also launched a newly re-designed  website that offers an “enhanced user experience for both professionals and consumers,” according to the company. Visit www.leviton.com to see the new site that serves as a “complete resource” with step-by-step installation videos, tips and interactive discussion forums, including installation procedures and best uses for various Leviton products. A new educational platform, “Leviton 101,” connects visitors with intuitive training videos and information from Leviton experts as well as with other site visitors for collaborative DIY discussions. The site also has a cleaner interface layout and rotating carousel  of images that links directly to key pages on the site.

Johnstone Supply, Inc., a cooperative, wholesale HVACR distributor based in Portland, Ore., launched a new online ordering and catalog system for local contractors across the country. You can view the site at www.JohnstoneSupply.com. The website was developed “from the ground-up to create the industry’s best go-to parts, supplies, and equipment catalog and ordering experience, comprehensive product information library, valuable online job tools, calculators, and education/training resource,” according to the company.  A new database and information management system underpins the new site which allows for fast product searches along with access to product information and specifications. This database system connects with the cooperative’s regional distribution centers and centralized network, providing access to real-time inventory and stock status.

-Bill O’Leary

Dirk Rodekuhr

Dirk Rodekuhr will be acting as a liaison between Shermco’s outside sales force and its production departments coordinating technical elements between sales and production. He has been in the electrical distribution industry for over 19 years and his equipment expertise includes low and medium-voltage drives, circuit breakers and switchgear. Rodekuhr also has comprehensive experience in protective relaying, electrical power systems and applications.

David Hooven

David Hooven has over 30 years of electrical field-related experience and also has technical knowledge and experience in the drives and automation arena. He has received numerous certifications from various drive manufacturers. Hooven will be focusing on the growth of Shermco’s drives and automation department, by educating customers and potential customers of the company’s capabilities in the industrial electronics service area, some of which include upgrades, expansions, and changes to SCADA systems, and various control systems, as well as maintenance and integration of HMI systems, new equipment and complete electrical drive systems.

-Bill O’Leary