1. 1. T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R L E A D I N G B U S I N E S S E X E C U T I V E S www.usbusinessexecutive.com First in grain marketing, service and supplies in northwest Iowa First Cooperative Association The heart of central Iowas grain growers Heartland Co-op Providing innovative solutions for the energy needs of the future Broadwind Energy Inc. Christensen Farms and Feedlots Inc. Linking the farm to food chain with premium pork products for 40 years Winter 2015 Edition I
2. 2. 105 Broadwind Energy Inc. (Broadwind) is a publicly traded company (NASDAQ:BWEN), supplying the energy industry for over a decade. The business is the culmination of several acquisitions and mergers over years past and today employs nearly 900 people. Today, those combined resources allow Broadwind to provide innovative and comprehensive solutions for a wide range of markets, including oil, gas, mining, renewable energy and a number of industrial applications. Peter Duprey, president and CEO of Broadwind, has been involved in renewable energy for over a decade. His experience includes several years as head of business development for GE Energys renewable energy program. Duprey led the well-known corporation into wind and solar power, building valuable skills, experience and relationships during his time there. Duprey also served as CEO of Acconia Energy North America until 2010 when he took on a leadership position at Broadwind. Today, Broadwind is a leading supplier for several sectors of the energy industry. We are manufacturers, fabricators and service providers for the power and energy market, Duprey summarizes. A few years ago, we started diversifying into other markets, such as oil and gas and mining. With our experience in fabricating large industrial components, these new markets were a natural extension of our business. Given our 90 years of experience in precision gearing, our services team tends to focus on wind turbine drivetrains. Wind Broadwind offers a range of services in the wind energy market. Since 2003, the business has been constructing steel towers for wind turbines. With fabrication experience spanning three decades, the crew has designed and constructed towers for all the major wind turbine manufacturers. In total, the business portfolio includes the construction of thousands of towers throughout the country. Broadwind offers end-of-warranty inspections for customers, ensuring that turbines function properly. If issues come up in the inspection, the crew is prepared to repair and service turbines through a range of specialty services. The team also has extensive experience in blade inspections, repair and enhancements to improve energy capture. Customers have come to rely on Broadwind to help with more complex maintenance and repair services around the drivetrain, blades and other major components. Broadwind Energy Inc. Providing innovative solutions for the energy needs of the future Produced by Caitlin Mugford & Written by Jeanee Dudley
3. 3. 106 |106 |USBusinessExecutive Winter 2015 Edition I ENERGY & POWER Other markets In the mining, oil and gas and industrial markets, the Broadwind team offers diverse fabrication, gearing and repair services. One of the crews higher growth segments is in industrial welding. In addition to wind towers, Broadwinds skilled team of experienced welders fabricates mining buckets, equipment chassis and pressure tanks. With the resurgence of manufacturing in the U.S., these types of components are in greater demand. As a result of Broadwinds experience in wind towers, the crew won the opportunity to build North Americas tallest flagpole over 400 feet tall for a customer in eastern Wisconsin. The company has shown that it is very versatile in the types of products it can fabricate. On the gearing side of the business, Broadwind produces complex loose gearing and completed gearboxes. Most of the gearing is 36 inches, or larger, in diameter. The company manufactures gearing for mud and frack pumps, gearboxes used in steel manufacturing, gearing used in off highway wheel housings and replacement gearing used in wind turbines. The company recently produced a gearbox for a test lab that measured 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. The gearing business also provides heat treating and finishing services to strengthen the steel once the gear is cut and has a full-service metallurgical lab with in-house non-destructive inspection. These testing capabilities include: ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle and nital etch inspection, hardness testing, Barkhausen Noise Analysis and destructive testing and evaluation services. For mining applications, the crew can also perform destructive testing and evaluation services. This full range of evaluation capabilities allows Broadwind to work closely with customers and collaborate on the gearbox design. Recent projects Broadwinds industrial welding business segment is growing fast. We have a focus on a few key markets, says Joe Reisinger, vice president of product development. We have established a solid presence in the mining industry, building sub- components across a number of product lines for a leading original equipment manufacturer [OEM] of mining equipment for the past few years.
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5. 5. 108 |108 |USBusinessExecutive Winter 2015 Edition I ENERGY & POWER Recent work at the companys Wisconsin and Texas facilities includes producing components for drill hole rigs, large dipper buckets and engine skeletons associated with rope shovel equipment. These are large steel structures that lend to the companys breadth of fabrication capabilities. In the oil and gas industry, the crew has undertaken a strategic initiative to attract new customers by developing the capability to produce pressure vessels. These vessels are used primarily in the production of oil and gas, Reisinger elaborates. There are a number of pieces of equipment used once a well is in place producing natural gas or crude out of the ground. We are actively working with companies that need these components and acting as the fabricator for those products. One piece we are specifically involved in fabricating is a three- phase separator. As the commodity comes out of the ground, there are always constituents mixed into it, often water, sand and other contaminants. This separation equipmentpullsthosecomponents apart. The company recently signed a partnership agreement with Italian technology company SAFE S.p.A., which has a global presence with gas compression equipment and an emphasis on fueling systems for natural gas vehicles and high horsepower compression packages for the oil and gas industry. This is an area that is new to the company, Reisinger says. We are bringing in new capabilities now through this venture where our partner designs the compression system and provides a compressor and then we build the entire package and test the final product. This is a major step forward for the company and Reisinger says he and his team are proud to be able to deliver complete engineered solutions through this partnership. In the companys gearing division, Broadwind is again working with leading OEMs, in the oil and gas industry. Many of Broadwinds contributions can be categorized as exploration or production products. The team has been producing gearing elements for pressure pumping and draw-works equipment over the last few years. In this industry there is a trend of rig modernization right now, Reisinger notes. As rigs get rebuilt, companies are deploying more advanced designs. We have been able to participate in this trend through the application of our gearing elements. While Reisinger notes that the steel industry is a more mature industry, aging infrastructure has In an economy of changing wind directions we support our clients to boldly move forward: CHICAGO NEW YORK LOS ANGELES WASHINGTON DC MIAMI DETROIT SAGINLLC.COM +1.312.281.0290 Management Consulting Operations Risk & Compliance Internal Audit Executive Search IT support
6. 6. 109 Broadwind Energys Culture of Wellness EngagementHealth LLC is proud to be entering our second year as the wellness provider for Broadwind Energy. Like most companies, Broadwind was faced with quite a challenge when it came to creating a healthier workplace. With a large population of tobacco users, the company made a commitment to wellness by implementing the EngagementHealth Tobacco Cessation Program. Before the program began a tobacco testing initiative was put in place. Those employees not passing as tobacco-free by January 1, 2014 were required to pay a $25 per pay period surcharge, avoidable by signing up for the program. Broadwind helped build a culture of better health by cutting down the number of designated smoking areas and launching a Recruit a Buddy challenge, designed to encourage employees to support one another in their efforts to stop smoking. To date, 64 percent of the people who signed up for the pilot program have completed it. Of those, 58 percent have remained tobacco-free for at least three months. We look forward to continuing the wellness journey with Broadwind employees in 2015. About EngagementHealth LLC: EngagementHealth was founded in 2007 by a team of passionate healthcare clinicians, business leaders, technology experts and benefits specialists who set out to reinvent wellness by establishing a disease prevention and health promotion program that actually improves health and lowers costs. Most wellness programs are a disappointment to employers due to low employee participation and a lack of verifiable outcome data on claims savings and improved biometrics. In comparison, EngagementHealths year-long comprehensive program delivers 80% participation, an industry-leading rate which drives the healthy behaviors necessary to produce long-term results. With multiple program options designed to involve the entire population, improving your employees health couldnt be simpler. We congratulate on their past achievements and are proud to partner with them in this dynamic industry. SAGIN, LLC is a firm which helps our clients grow, change and deliver measurable results. Having expertise in the energy industry supply chain, working with clients in the manufacturing of components, construction, operations and utility distribution; we work with our clients to bring the right resources, enabling them to achieve their goals. For more information, visit: Broadwind Energy saginllc.com or +1.312.281.0290 ASSURANCEAGENCY.COM John Storto | jstorto@assuranceagency.com | 847.463.7349 Business Insurance | Employee Benefits | Financial Services Broadwind Energy. Minimizing risk and maximizing health for ilfx