A German company that makes equipment for maintaining windpower turbines is expanding in Gwinnett County, occupying a 10,800-square foot building in Lawrenceville and employing 10-15 people in the first year.
Goracon Windpower Access Systems, headquartered in Steinfurt, Germany, makes equipment, such as rope and ladder-guided lifts, for climbing massive wind turbines that can be as tall as 600 feet, company president Carl Vanhoutte told GlobalAtlanta. The equipment makes it easier and safer for workers to scale the turbines for cleaning, painting and other maintenance, he said.
The equipment is currently designed and manufactured in Germany and shipped to the U.S. for distribution “Once the volume picks up, we certainly want to do all the manufacturing here,” said Mr. Vanhoutte. Once manufacturing is moved to the Gwinnett location, engineering and design would still be performed in Germany, he said.
Mr. Vanhoutte cited Atlanta’s interstate highway access, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Georgia’s QuickStart worker training program as factors in the decision to expand here.
For more information on Goracon click here.