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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Denmark-Based LM Wind Power Locates Tech Center in New Orleans, Louisiana

11/08/2018
Denmark-based LM Wind Power will establish its Technology Center for the Americas at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, Louisiana.

LM Wind Power is the world’s leading supplier of blades to the wind energy industry. The company is inaugurating the Technology Center for the Americas at its current Michoud operations. A GE Renewable Energy company, LM Wind Power will retain 45 jobs and create 100 new direct jobs, according to the Louisiana Economic Development.

GE completed its purchase of LM Wind Power in 2017. LM Wind Power’s current operations and the new Technology Center for the Americas will be located in the New Orleans facility that formerly operated as Blade Dynamics, which GE acquired in 2015.

The firm’s New Orleans operations are based at Building 420 on the Michoud Assembly Facility campus. The company’s facility features 60,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 20,000 square feet of office space. As the company establishes the Technology Center for the Americas, it will develop new techniques for designing and building wind turbine blades.

“We are pleased to expand our presence in Louisiana,” LM Wind Power CEO Duncan Berry said. “The facility is driving innovation in the design and manufacturing of wind turbine blades to ensure that LM Wind Power is able to design longer, lighter, more affordable blades, a key driver in the continued growth of the U.S. wind power industry. The state’s location and transportation infrastructure give LM Wind Power access to a large portion of the country. The NASA campus offers world-class logistical support, including port facilities that enable the company to move large equipment into and out of our expanded research facility.”

“Finally, the strong network of local universities and community colleges provides ideal partners to develop training programs to ensure that there is a qualified pool of local applicants to meet our workforce needs,” he added.

“With energy and advanced manufacturing representing two of Louisiana’s key industries, the launch of LM Wind Power’s Technology Center for the Americas in New Orleans is a perfect fit for our state,” Governor John Bel Edwards said.

To secure the project in New Orleans, the State of Louisiana offered the company a competitive incentive package, which includes the services of LED FastStart, the state’s workforce development program; LM Wind Power has qualified to participate in the state’s Quality Jobs Program.

"The expansion of LM Wind Power further underscores our region’s opportunity in the advanced manufacturing sector,” said President & CEO Michael Hecht of Greater New Orleans Inc. “The Michoud Assembly Facility has been a key anchor in attracting and expanding advanced manufacturing companies in the greater New Orleans region. GNO Inc. will continue to support the efforts at Michoud, ensuring that companies like LM Wind Power can continue to grow and provide well-paying jobs in our market.”

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