In late May, the first shipment of 80-foot wind tower sections produced at the DMI Industries plant in Catoosa hit the road, headed for a wind farm project in northern Texas.

It was a milestone for the wind tower manufacturer that had began operating in January.

Today, "Shipments leave the plant daily," said DMI President Stefan Nilsson.

And, ahead of its expansion plans, the West Fargo, N.D.-based company already has doubled its operations in Oklahoma to keep up with market demands.

What's the outlook

With about 250 employees now working three shifts at the 500,000-square-foot facility, "we are not done hiring by any means," Nilsson said. By the second quarter of 2009, DMI expects to have 400 workers on the job to fulfill orders for wind tower projects through 2010.

"The second phase was implemented a little sooner that we expected," he said, but the plan all along was to boost the plant's initial production. "We have made the investments we intended to make."

Why choose state?

With two other plants in West Fargo and Canada, Nilsson said DMI came looking for a more southern site along the North Dakota to Texas corridor to serve the burgeoning wind farm development in this part of the country.

He cited Catoosa's proximity to a waterway, a workable plant location and a ready workforce that included welders, plasterers and painters. In the end, a strong labor pool, solid infrastructure, encouraging city and state officials and accessibility to Texas wind farm development made the state stand out.

Background

As DMI Industries ramps up production, Oklahoma Commerce Department officials say, in the past two years interest in the wind industry has swept over the state like a quickly spreading spring storm.

"Wind energy has always been a target of ours, but that industry has accelerated, and we're energizing our efforts as well," said Sandy Pratt, a deputy director for business services with the Commerce Department.

The state already ranks among the nation's top 10 wind energy producers, and predictions from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have Oklahoma as the second-largest generator of wind power in the nation by 2030.

To connect with companies, Pratt said Commerce officials work with corporate real estate agents and regularly attend industry trade shows like the recent American Wind Energy Conference in Houston.

At that event, Oklahoma representative mingled with 13,000 attendees, double the size of the show last year, she said.

And as more wind farms pop up across the state, "we want to grow those firms, the companies that produce the parts and provide the maintenance, to coincide with the growth in the wind farm industry," she said.

Pratt said the same amenities that appealed to DMI should also entice other firms looking to open facilities or relocate existing ones.

How load has grown

Since the Commerce Department first started conversations with DMI Industries two years ago, inquiries from manufacturers have jumped considerably.

"The wind industry itself is surging so rapidly, keeping up with the projects is daunting," said Charles Kimbrough, Commerce Department recruitment director.

"We get two or three calls a week now" from companies interested in operating in the state. "Three years ago, we got maybe one a month, or less than that," said Kimbrough.

In the past two years, "we've doubled our project workload," Kimbrough said.

"Our ultimate goal is to create jobs and investment for the state. We target companies that will locate here, and raise the county wage," he said.

And the state is being selective, he added, screening projects to target those with the potential for long-lasting jobs that will best represent the state's future in the industry

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