Palfinger AG, Salzburg, Austria, and Fair Wind LLC, Lawton, Okla., have established a joint venture for the American wind service industry.
Palfinger holds a 51% interest in the new company, FairWind Renewable Energy Services, LLC, which will specialize in servicing wind turbines for the production of electricity.
The use of large access platforms can double or even triple the efficiency of service and maintenance work. To date, personnel baskets or rope-access technicians have been the main methods of reaching the high-up work sites.
The wind service industry has grown significantly in the United States and Canada, and the more than 60,000 onshore wind turbines now at work need regular cleaning, routine service, blade repairs, painting, and inspections.
In order to enhance efficiency, large access platforms have been gradually ousting traditional methods in the United States.
Fair Wind LLC is a young and dynamic company employing approximately 25 experts for the servicing of wind and oil industry equipment. The joint venture established with Palfinger will specialize exclusively in the maintenance of wind energy plants. In a first step, Palfinger will supply access platforms as well as stability and financial power – indispensable assets for long-term contracts. The new company will be managed by Fair Wind LLC owners Brett Bain and Brian Edwards. It starts operations July 1, 2015.
“This joint venture will open up an additional high-growth sales market for Palfinger’s large access platforms in North America. What we and the owners and managers of Fair Wind LLC have in common is a similar corporate culture. To us, this joint venture is a forward integration in the world’s largest market,” said Herbert Ortner, CEO of Palfinger AG.
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