Tower Tech, which currently operates a manufacturing facility in Manitowoc, Wis., and has been producing wind towers since 2003, worked closely with local economic development officials in Abilene and broke ground on the project in September 2008. The new facility has 146,000 square feet of production space on a 42-acre site, allowing for 20 acres of storage, according to the company.

Production at the plant began in February, and included an initial run of towers for customers in various Texas locations, according to the company. Approximately 120 people are employed at the facility.

“As part of our expansion strategy, we are pleased to announce production at our newest facility, which we believe is the first of its kind in North America built specifically for large tower manufacturing,” said J. Cameron Drecoll, CEO of Broadwind Energy Inc., the Naperville, Ill.-based parent company of Tower Tech Systems. “We view the opening of this facility as an important step in our overall strategy of producing superior products in innovative facilities that are strategically constructed in close proximity to development sites.”

In addition to its manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin and Texas, Tower Tech has a third facility under construction in Brandon, S.D. Tower Tech's facilities have a combined annual production capacity that supports up to 1,500 megawatts of wind energy production on an annual basis, according to the company.