Arkansas / Nordex wind turbine plant to stop production and lay off

A $40 million wind turbine factory in northeast Arkansas that opened in 2010 with plans to employ more than 700 people announced Friday it would end production and lay off 40 workers.

Germany-based Nordex SE, parent company of Nordex USA, said the company had not received enough orders due to an uncertain U.S. market, overcapacity in the industry and an unstable outlook for a federal tax production credit.

The company said factory workers would be let go after existing orders have been filled. The layoffs are expected to start in October.

“This is a sad day for all of us at Nordex USA. We will lose valued colleagues, who have done their very best for us, but the decision was inevitable considering the underutilization of our plant,” Nordex USA President and CEO Ralf Sigrist said in a news release.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

via Arkansas wind turbine plant to stop production – Businessweek.