Area Development
DMI Industries, a manufacturer of wind turbine towers, will double its current work force and expand operations at its factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The company plans to add about 225 jobs by the middle of next year, many of them in skilled trades such as welding. "The demand for wind energy is helping us grow," says John Erickson, CEO of Otter Tail Corporation, DMI's parent company. "As a nation, we only use about 1 percent wind energy now, and many think it will grow to 15, 20, or 25 percent." The company currently uses about 300,000 square feet of its factory, but the planned expansion will utilize the remaining 200,000 square feet.