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Firm plans plant
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| Robert Ragaini/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers A wind turbine currently in use at the Grazin' Angus Acres farm in Ghent. AeroCity plans a plant in Columbia County, thanks to a grant from CEDC, which will create 50 local jobs. |
AeroCity deal will create 50 local jobs in Columbia County
Within three years, AeroCity Wind Power (AWP), a limited liability company, will begin manufacturing vertical wind turbines in Columbia County. The deal was struck between the Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) and Aerocity, LLC as a business loan in exchange for establishing a manufacturing plant in Columbia County. Once it is fully operational, the plant is expected to have room for 50 employees.
AWP is a new company that bought the rights to vertical wind turbines, which are built to be situated on top of buildings unlike the more conventional wind turbine that sits in a field. The company has the rights for distribution, sales and refinement and has exclusive rights to aerotexture turbines on the East Coast, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Russia. AWP is based in Cold Spring and was founded in 2007.
AWP has received a product development grant from NYSERTA for $1 million to modify and improve upon the project.
Russell Tencer, CEO of AWP, said the grant was awarded four months ago. “We’ve been spending the last four months making progress on the design...we’ve also made a lot of progress assessing wind conditions.”
Wind conditions are the key to optimal performance. “Understanding wind conditions and having appropriate design for buildings has led us to what we think is a ‘best in breed’ solution for building integrated wind,” Tencer said. “On sites that are appropriately sited, it will exceed what solar panels can do.”
These wind turbines will have a vertical axis and be integrated into the building they stand on — they will not stand alone. “In terms of overall size, we’re still working with the numbers,” he said. “It’s measured by swept area. It’s going to be around 20 square meters.”
AWP will use the loan from CEDC to “bridge themselves between final production development and actually doing sales,” said Ken Flood, director of Planning and Economic Development for Columbia County.
With a target year of 2012 to start a manufacturing plant in the county, there’s still a lot to be done. Studies are currently underway at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Rochester Institute of Technology, and information from AWP states that there are already a few dealers interested in purchasing the turbines.
At first, only 14 jobs will be available at the plant, and after about three years the number will increase to 50. “These will be jobs that the company will teach the skills to the employees,” said Flood.
“This is the future of Columbia County: getting on the ground floor with young companies,” he said, adding that if you look at the large companies that have been based in Columbia County, “they’ve all started here. They weren’t relocations. Everything we’ve had has been homegrown and that’s what we need to concentrate and emphasize.”
This is the first time Columbia County has given a loan to a business in exchange for such an agreement. “We have always been a straight loan. We are taking a chance on this company,” said Flood, who first heard about the company when Chief Operating Officer for AWP William Jacoby made a presentation in Kinderhook. Jacoby is a resident of Claverack.
The county does have a signed commitment for the deal. “We could obviously use the jobs, and we’re very excited about being a partner with the company,” said Flood. “We will forge a relationship with this company and we’re very excited about it. We hope it will bring spin-offs.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com. To comment directly on this story, visit www.registerstar.com.
Within three years, AeroCity Wind Power (AWP), a limited liability company, will begin manufacturing vertical wind turbines in Columbia County. The deal was struck between the Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) and Aerocity, LLC as a business loan in exchange for establishing a manufacturing plant in Columbia County. Once it is fully operational, the plant is expected to have room for 50 employees.
AWP is a new company that bought the rights to vertical wind turbines, which are built to be situated on top of buildings unlike the more conventional wind turbine that sits in a field. The company has the rights for distribution, sales and refinement and has exclusive rights to aerotexture turbines on the East Coast, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Russia. AWP is based in Cold Spring and was founded in 2007.
AWP has received a product development grant from NYSERTA for $1 million to modify and improve upon the project.
Russell Tencer, CEO of AWP, said the grant was awarded four months ago. “We’ve been spending the last four months making progress on the design...we’ve also made a lot of progress assessing wind conditions.”
Wind conditions are the key to optimal performance. “Understanding wind conditions and having appropriate design for buildings has led us to what we think is a ‘best in breed’ solution for building integrated wind,” Tencer said. “On sites that are appropriately sited, it will exceed what solar panels can do.”
These wind turbines will have a vertical axis and be integrated into the building they stand on — they will not stand alone. “In terms of overall size, we’re still working with the numbers,” he said. “It’s measured by swept area. It’s going to be around 20 square meters.”
AWP will use the loan from CEDC to “bridge themselves between final production development and actually doing sales,” said Ken Flood, director of Planning and Economic Development for Columbia County.
With a target year of 2012 to start a manufacturing plant in the county, there’s still a lot to be done. Studies are currently underway at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Rochester Institute of Technology, and information from AWP states that there are already a few dealers interested in purchasing the turbines.
At first, only 14 jobs will be available at the plant, and after about three years the number will increase to 50. “These will be jobs that the company will teach the skills to the employees,” said Flood.
“This is the future of Columbia County: getting on the ground floor with young companies,” he said, adding that if you look at the large companies that have been based in Columbia County, “they’ve all started here. They weren’t relocations. Everything we’ve had has been homegrown and that’s what we need to concentrate and emphasize.”
This is the first time Columbia County has given a loan to a business in exchange for such an agreement. “We have always been a straight loan. We are taking a chance on this company,” said Flood, who first heard about the company when Chief Operating Officer for AWP William Jacoby made a presentation in Kinderhook. Jacoby is a resident of Claverack.
The county does have a signed commitment for the deal. “We could obviously use the jobs, and we’re very excited about being a partner with the company,” said Flood. “We will forge a relationship with this company and we’re very excited about it. We hope it will bring spin-offs.”
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com. To comment directly on this story, visit www.registerstar.com.
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phl1m wrote on Aug 27, 2009 8:35 AM: