Area Development
WindTronics, a startup unit of the alternative energy company EarthTronics, will invest $4.4 million to locate a wind turbine manufacturing facility in Muskegon, Michigan, according to the Michigan governor's offce. The project is expected to create 219 new jobs. The Muskegon Chronicle reports that the company plans to commercialize a small-scale wind turbine designed for residential and commercial use, with technology developed at Grand Valley State University. WindTronics has entered into a licensing agreement with Honeywell International Inc. to build the wind turbines, the first of which will be a six-foot unit to be sold in hardware stores for less than $4,000 as part of what the company calls a "home energy package." The Chronicle says that Reg Adams, president of EarthTronics, expects to choose a specific location in Muskegon for the factory in early June. The governor's office says the state has provided WindTronics with a tax credit valued at $3.7 million over the next 10 years; the city is also considering tax abatement.