Many suppliers and small manufacturers are shifting gears from auto parts to wind turbine components. About 700 Michigan manufacturers now do wind-industry work, including Dowding Industries in Eaton Rapids.
According to excerpts from the article:
"How do you ever leave GM? How do you ever leave these customers that were this powerful?" said Jeff Metts, president of Dowding Machining in Eaton Rapids. "I think a lot of suppliers struggle with that."
Parent company Dowding Industries began cutting back on the metal stamping and other work it did for the auto industry in 2000 before moving into wind-related work two years ago, Metts said.
Now, about 30 of Dowding Machining's 140 employees do wind-related work. Metts believes that number will grow substantially.
"I personally feel - and some people might think I'm nuts - I think we can employ about 5,000 people in Michigan in this wind industry business," he said, laying out long-term plans for multiple facilities dedicated to wind-turbine production.
Read the entire article here.
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