ICAD to speak at international wind conference

The Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD Group) will speak at the American Wind Energy Association's International Conference "WindPower2012" this June in Atlanta.

Mark Nolte, Business Development Director for ICAD Group, will present on how companies should evaluate the site selection process for locating wind energy manufacturing.

The conference attracts tens of thousands of attendees worldwide and addresses current topics and trends in wind energy.

Nolte has attended the past few years and notes there is a lot of optimism in the industry.

“We are very excited by how far we have come,” said Nolte.  “The future of this industry remains largely contingent upon Congress making a determination on the Production Tax Credit, such that utilities and developers can properly plan their investment growth in wind energy.”

ICAD Group assists Acciona in West Branch and other regional wind industry manufacturing with workforce and business development and just this past year announced projects with PNE WindUSA and NADICOM.

“The continued uncertainty around this tax credit has the potential to bring this sector to almost a complete halt in 2013,” added Nolte.

“But resolving this issue by all accounts will cause a dramatic upswing in turbine orders for 2014 and beyond and respectively an increase in the need to locate more manufacturing in our area.”

Expansion Solutions Magazine recently announced its Fifth Annual "Top Five" Awards of Excellence, and ICAD Group was recognized in the Wind Energy Category for 2011.  These awards recognize economic development organizations which have shown exceptional progress and potential in the area of development by successfully recruiting, retaining and assisting growing businesses.

“This award is truly the result of the collaboration that defines our region,” said Nolte.

“To make these projects happen and to achieve the inertia we have developed in this industry is due in large part to efforts by our cities, counties, the University of Iowa College of Engineering, Kirkwood Community College, the private sector employers and regional economic development partners.”

Local work in the wind energy industry is already underway this year.

In addition to the NADICOM and PNE WindUSA projects, ICAD Group is currently working with site location consultants regarding the progress of site certification for the City of Iowa City's Wind Energy Supply Chain campus east of town.

About the Awards of Excellence:

The "Top Five" Awards of Excellence honored 35 economic development groups nationwide in categories ranging from Defense and Logistics to Wind Energy and Data Centers.

In the Wind Energy category, development groups from Texas, Utah, Iowa, Missouri and New Jersey were honored.  According to Expansion Solutions Magazine, these locations were chosen because of the incredible support systems offered to businesses as well as recent activity and potential growth that can be created in each area.

About ICAD Group:

The Iowa City Area Development (ICAD) Group is an economic development organization serving interstate commerce companies in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Solon, Tiffin, Tipton, the Amana Colonies, West Branch, Kalona, West Liberty, and Johnson County.

From business expansion and attraction to workforce development, ICAD Group helps drive the economy within the communities we serve and makes our region of more than 400,000 people a profitable location for business.