DMI Media release / Fort Erie Plant Expansion
Media Release
For immediate release
Contact:
Belinda Forknell
Public Relations, DMI Industries
(701) 866-3692 or belinda.forknell@dmiindustries.com
DMI Industries increases production at Fort Erie plant
to meet growing demand in wind energy industry
Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada (October 20, 2008) – DMI Industries, an Otter Tail company, is increasing production capacity by 25 percent at its manufacturing facility in Fort Erie, Ontario, to meet the growing demand for towers in the northern tier of the United States and southeastern and south central regions of Canada.
“The Canadian wind energy industry is in early development stages, and we’re a key player in moving it forward,” said Tony Claroni, Fort Erie General Manager. “There is a lot of potential here and we’re growing to keep up with the needs of our customers.”
DMI acquired the Fort Erie facility in October 2005 and began manufacturing towers there in May 2006. With facilities in Fort Erie, North Dakota and Oklahoma, DMI Industries has one of the largest tower manufacturing capacities in North America.
“With this expansion, and the expansions currently underway at our North Dakota and Oklahoma facilities, DMI is well-positioned to meet the strong and continuing market demands in the wind energy industry,” added Stefan Nilsson, DMI president.
Expansions at the Canadian DMI location include the addition of several new sub-arc stations to increase weld capacity, allowing for more than 20 percent greater flow of product through the facility, along with more beveling capacity in plate processing. An additional fit-up line has added to the facility’s capacity to build more tower sections on a week-by-week basis, and new material handling equipment facilitates the move of more finished product.
The increased capacity in the weld shop has prompted a need for more skilled workers throughout facility departments, said Claroni, resulting in the recent hiring of nearly 100 employees. The plant, which began operations with a staff of about 30, now employs more than 200 people.
He added that the facility’s location provides an added competitive advantage by allowing DMI to ship product by rail, truck and water to customers throughout the United States and Canada.
About DMI Industries:
DMI is a heavy steel wind tower manufacturer with plants located in North Dakota, Oklahoma and Ontario, Canada. The company also has capabilities to produce equipment for a wide variety of industries, including agricultural processing; ethanol production; oil and gas extraction and processing; and water and waste water processing. For more information, visit www.windtowers.com or www.dmiindustries.com.
About Otter Tail Corporation:
Otter Tail Corporation has interests in diversified operations that include an electric utility, plastics, manufacturing, health services, food ingredient processing, transportation and construction. Otter Tail Corporation stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol OTTR. The latest investor and corporate information is available at www.ottertail.com. Corporate offices are located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and Fargo, North Dakota.
Forward-looking Statements:
Except for historical information, all other information provided in this presentation consists of “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These “forward-looking statements” are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, anticipated, or implied. The most significant of these risks and uncertainties
are discussed or identified in Otter Tail Corporation’s public filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Otter Tail Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
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