Area Development
Avanti Wind, a Danish company, is expanding in New Berlin, Wisconsin. The compny is moving production of aluminum wind tower ladders to New Berlin from China and Germany, according to Avanti U.S. General Manager Kent Pedersen.

While wind development has dramatically declined this year, "We have done quite well in expanding our customer base in North America, and we've continued to grow in 2010 compared to 2009 and we expect that to continue next year," Pedersen said.

Avanti has 22 employees at the 52,000-square-foot facility. It will be able to produce up to 3,000 wind tower ladders annually.

Several other green energy companies have chosen to locate in Wisconsin, prompting the Wisconsin Energy Research Consortium to announce intentions to name Wisconsin a center of excellence for the clean energy industry, and help the state capture R&D funding if the U.S. Department of Energy names that state an energy innovation hub.