Area Development
SGB USA Inc., a subsidiary of Germany-based transformer manufacturer Starkstrom-Geratebau, will invest US$1.4 million to open its first U.S. facility in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, according to the Associated Press (AP). The company, which plans to create six new jobs initially, is a supplier to Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems, which has two plants in Colorado and is in the process of building two more. The Denver Business Journal reports that the company will assemble and test transformers that convert electricity generated by wind turbines into a form that can be delivered onto the power grid. "This plant is intended to just be a gateway," says Kevin Stretch, general manager for the Wheat Ridge facility, quoted in the Journal. "We have some big plans over the next few years. The first part of my job is to get this up and running." SGB expects to start shipping units in the first quarter of next year. The Journal reports that the city has offered SGB $15,000 in tax incentives and could offer more if the company raises its investment and hires more people; SGB has also applied for $15,000 in incentives from the county.