Siemens Energy Appoints Jim Jones Director, Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing of Its Growing Americas Wind Power Business

FORT MADISON, Iowa, March 17, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Siemens Energy, Inc. announces the appointment of Jim Jones to the position of Director, Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing - Americas Region, effective March 16, 2011. With more than thirty years of experience in leading-edge manufacturing, service and repair operations, Jim will have overall responsibility for wind turbine blade manufacturing in the Americas region, which includes the Fort Madison, Iowa, and Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, operations. Jim and his family will be relocating to the Fort Madison area in the coming months.

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A retiree of the United States Air Force, Jim has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility in the aircraft and power generation industries. He first joined Siemens in 2001 at the Houston Service Center as the Superintendent of Quality Assurance. In 2004, he was appointed Plant Operations Manager, and in 2006, he was promoted to his current position as Director, Houston Service Center. Jim is a graduate of the Community College of the Air Force, where he earned an Associates degree in Metals Technology. He later earned a B.S. and M.S. degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  

"We are very pleased that Jim will be heading this important activity for us," said Kevin Hazel, VP of supply chain management for Siemens' wind power business in the Americas. "Given Jim's extensive experience in manufacturing, service and repair operations, he is highly qualified to oversee and manage our growing blade manufacturing activities in the North America region."

Siemens Energy, Inc. is now the largest employer in Fort Madison, Iowa, with more than 700 employees producing blades for the company's 2.3-MW and 3.0-MW wind turbines at its 600,000-square-foot wind turbine blade manufacturing plant. Siemens started with one employee after it renovated and expanded the existing 240,000-square-foot, empty factory space in September 2006 and by May 2007, the company produced its first blade with 230 employees. Today, Siemens' employment level is at its highest with more than 700 employees and the company continues to add employees.

Other North American wind power operations include a new 300,000-square-foot nacelle assembly plant in Hutchinson, Kansas, a Houston-based wind turbine service operation, an R&D center in Boulder, Colorado, two gearbox factories in Elgin, Illinois, and the company's Americas headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Siemens also recently announced that it will open a wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada. The plant's manufacturing, service operations and associated back-office activities are expected to create up to 300 jobs. In the U.S., Siemens now employs close to 1,500 people in the wind business and has installed wind turbines with a combined capacity of more than 4,200 MW in the U.S., which is enough to supply power to more than 1.25 million average homes.

The Siemens Energy Sector is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2010 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR25.8 billion and received new orders totaling more than EUR30.1 billion and posted a profit of more than EUR3.5 billion. On September 30, 2010, the Energy Sector had a work force of more than 88,000. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.

SOURCE Siemens Energy, Inc.