CERTs 2009 | Supply Chain: Manufacturing & Local Ownership
Session Audio
Moderator
Dentley Haugesag, Renewable Energy Specialist, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Panelists
Randy Hagen, Owner, SolarSkies: Randy is the Founder and President of Solar Skies, Mfg, LLC, a solar thermal collector manufacturing company located in Starbuck, MN. Solar Skies originally began manufacturing Randy’s patent pending solar powered aircraft ventilators until that part of the operation was turned over to Vantage Plane Plastics. Since that time Solar Skies has been focused on solar thermal collector manufacturing, and currently produces 13 different SRCC (Solar Rating Certification Corporation) rated collectors which are nationally distributed. Prior to starting Solar Skies, Randy has been and is currently owner of HARGIN, INC., a turkey breeding operation located in rural Starbuck. Randy first jobs during and after college included working for Norwest Banks (currently Wells Fargo) and Mesaba Airlines in accounting. Randy has a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Economics and Finance Concentration from St. Olaf College.
Jim Bjork, Vice President for North American Expansion, Moventas: Jim was born in Rochester, MN. he has a BA in Business from Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN) and an MBA from Universtity Miami in FL. Jim worked for IBM for 6 years, mostly as a Financial Analyst. After IBM he worked for Wirsbo Company, which evolved into Uponor (a Finnish Company) for 16.5 years. He “did just about every job in the place,” with the last 6 years serving as Uponor’s senior North American executive. During the 16 years at Uponor the business grew from $5 mil to roughly $250 mil. Jim has worked for Moventas (his second Finnish employer) for about 1.5 years as VP North American Expansion Projects in the Wind Gear Division. Main project has been to lead site selection work and to evaluate the supply chain in North America for the prospective wind turbine gearbox assembly plant. Moventas announced plans in August 2008 to build the new gearbox assembly plant in Faribault, MN. Project has been delayed by the current credit crisis and slowing of wind farm development expected in the near-term.
Dan Juhl, Chairman and CEO, Juhl Wind, Inc: Dan Juhl is Chairman and CEO of Juhl Wind, Inc., an established leader in Community Based Wind Power development and management, focused on wind farm projects throughout the United States and Canada. Dan has pioneered conservation and renewable energy technologies, particularly wind power, in the Midwest, having developed 1,500 MW of wind generation in his 30 years of experience in the field. During his tenure in the wind industry, Dan’s activities have covered every aspect of the technology including R&D, design, manufacturing, development, installation, and O&M. He has also been instrumental in helping to form public policy by working with legislators and regulators on the workings and benefits of utilizing renewables in the energy mix, and is considered to be one of the nations leading experts on wind technology and community owned renewable distributive generation. Dan has He has been a consultant to Edison Capital, Johnson Controls, John Deere Capital, Nordex Turbines, Suzlon Turbine Manufacturing, Nebraska Power and Excel Energy. He has appeared before numerous state and federal governmental bodies advocating wind power and community-based energy development on behalf of landowners, farmers, and ranchers. Dan also wrote the popular wind energy reference guidebook Harvesting Wind Energy As A Cash Crop.
Clean Energy Resource Teams