07.11.06

PIERRE - Gov. Mike Rounds announced today that Knight & Carver Wind Blade Division, a wind blade repair and manufacturing company, will expand its California-based operations into Howard, South Dakota. The company is expected to employ 10-25 full-time employees in 2007 and projected to employ 46 people within the first three years.

"Knight & Carver represents a great addition to our business community. It will build on the city of Howard's efforts to create jobs through wind energy - an industry where South Dakota has great potential," said Gov. Rounds.

"This is a significant step forward for our company," said Gary Kanaby, Division Manager of Knight & Carver Wind Blade Division. "We are very grateful to the many South Dakota and Miner County officials who have provided such generous incentives. We're confident that South Dakota's workforce and business climate will allow us to provide better service at a lower cost to our current and future customers. We're excited to set up shop in a community that is so supportive of the potential wind energy has for its economic development."

With economic incentives provided by the State of South Dakota, the Miner County Community Revitalization (MCCR) and Heartland Consumer Power District, Knight & Carver Wind Blade will lease and operate a 26,000 square foot wind blade repair and manufacturing facility. Under terms of a five-year lease, Knight and Carver will have an opportunity to purchase the facility and expand. Groundbreaking is expected by mid-July, with full-scale blade production scheduled to begin in November.

When completed, Knight & Carver's 75' x 220' main manufacturing bay will be equipped with an overhead crane and will serve as an all-weather production facility. In addition, the building will offer space for the storage and preparation of materials to fabricate blades; a garage to house the company's service vehicles; and a full-service paint booth, large enough to paint wind blades. The facility will also be used as Knight & Carver's Midwest regional repair facility.

The Knight & Carver project is the latest step in Howard's effort to create jobs through wind energy. A few years ago, two wind turbine generators were installed in the Howard Industrial Park with the goal of attracting wind-energy firms to the region. Howard has a renewable energy park dedicated to developing the area's wind-energy potential, and local leaders are excited to welcome another business to the area's emerging wind energy business cluster.

"The idea that this project has become a reality is very exciting," said Mike Knutson, economic development coordinator for the MCCR. "It promises to help us attain our mission of creating quality, living-wage jobs from renewable energy sources that will benefit our citizens for years to come. We see this as a perfect fit for our community."

"This project brings South Dakota even closer to reaching the state's 2010 Intiative goals of increasing the gross state product and becoming a net energy exporter," said Secretary of Tourism and State Development Richard Benda. "South Dakota is moving forward in its ability to use energy as a significant tool for economic development."

For more information about the emerging wind energy industry in Miner County, please visit http://www.mccr.net/Wind/index.html.