Vestas Wind Systems A/S Type Publicly traded Aktieselskab (OMX: VWS) Industry Wind power industry Founded 1945 Founder(s) Peder Hansen Headquarters Randers, Denmark Key people Ditlev Engel (President and CEO), Bent Erik Carlsen (Chairman) Products Wind turbines Revenue €6.636 billion (2009)1 Operating income €856 million (2009)1 Profit €579 million (2009)1 Employees 20,730 (end 2009)1 Website www.vestas.com Vestas V47-660kW wind turbine at the American Wind Power Center in Lubbock, Texas Vestas Wind Systems is a Danish manufacturer, seller, installer, and servicer of wind turbines. It is the largest in the world,23 but due to very rapid growth of its competitors its market share decreased from 28% in 2007 to 12.5% in 2009. The company operates manufacturing plants in Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Britain, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Australia, China, and the United States,4 and employs more than 20,000 people globally.5 After a sales slump in 2005,4 Vestas recovered and was voted Top Green Company of 2006.6 In late 2008 the company announced a manufacturing expansion in Colorado.78 In August 2010, Vestas also announced a significant expansion of its North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon.9 In October 2010, the company announced it was closing some of its factories in Scandinavia, with the loss of 3000 jobs.1011

As of 2011, Vestas wind turbines generate enough electricity to provide for 21 million people. In January 2011, Vestas won the $1.5m (£940,000) Zayed Future Energy Prize in Abu Dhabi.12 Contents 1 History 2 Operations 3 Products 4 Business strategy 5 Research and development 6 See also 7 References 8 External links // History Vestas was founded in 1945 by Peder Hansen as "Vestjysk Stålteknik A/S" (West-Jutlandish steel technology). The company initially manufactured household appliances, moving its focus to agricultural equipment in 1950, intercoolers in 1956, and hydraulic cranes in 1968. It entered the wind turbine industry in 1979,13 and produced wind turbines exclusively from 1989.14 In 2003, the company merged with the Danish wind turbine manufacturer NEG Micon to create the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world, under the banner of Vestas Wind Systems. After an operational loss in 2005, Vestas recovered in 2006 with a 28% market share4 and has continued to increase production although market share has slid to between 12.52 and 14%3 (depending on source) as other manufacturers have also increased production. In February 2009, the company announced the production of two new turbine types, the 3-megawatt V112 and 1.8-megawatt V100. The new models will be available in 2010.15 Operations

Vestas has installed over 41,000 wind turbines for a capacity of just under 40 GW14 in 63 countries on five continents.16 The company employs more than 22,000 people globally,5 and has built production facilities in more than 12 countries. It is currently expanding and opening up new production facilities in China, Spain and the United States.17 The company's North American headquarters was relocated in 2002 from Palm Springs, California to Portland, Oregon.1819 On December 1, 2008 Vestas announced plans to expand its North American headquarters in Portland through construction of a 600,000-square-foot (56,000 m2) new building, but this plan was mothballed in 2009 due to the economic recession, and in August 2010 the company announced a revised plan, scaled back in size, to expand its Portland headquarters by renovating an existing-but-vacant 172,000 ft2 building.9 At that time, Vestas employed about 400 in Portland and committed to add at least 100 more employees there within five years; the new building will have space for up to 600 workers.9 Vestas employs a further 200 persons at a blade manufacturing facility in Windsor, Colorado, and plans to add 1400 jobs at a new blade and nacelle assembly facility that is under construction near Brighton, Colorado7, and up to 125 engineers at a 47,675 ft2 product development site in Louisville, Colorado20. Vestas also operates a tower facility in Pueblo, Colorado.20 Vestas said it decided to build its North American production facilities in Colorado because of the state’s central location, extensive transportation infrastructure and rail system, existing manufacturing base, and skilled workforce.20 Vestas wind turbine blades are made from high strength, light weight carbon fiber supplied by Zoltek Companies Inc. in St. Louis, MO. Products

Some of the more recent wind turbine models made by Vestas are listed below.21 The rotor diameter (in meters) follows the V. V47-660 kW V52-850 kW V60-850 kW (China)22 V66-1.75MW V80-1.8MW V80-2.0MW V82-1.65MW V90-1.8MW V90-2.0MW V90-3.0MW V100-1.8MW V112-3.0MW Business strategy The Vestas protest on the Isle of Wight in 2009. In July 2009, it was announced that Vestas' operations on the Isle of Wight in England would close due to lack of demand, affecting 525 jobs there and 100 jobs in Southampton. Approximately 25 workers at the wind turbine factory on the island occupied the administration offices in protest on 20 July 2009, demanding nationalisation to save their jobs.23 In August 2009 Vestas hired more than 5,000 extra workers for its new factories in China, the United States, and Spain. The company said it was "expanding heavily in China and the US because these markets were growing the fastest, in contrast to the sluggish pace of wind farm development in the UK".24 As part of this gradual shift in production away from Europe and towards China and the US, in October 2010, the company announced it was closing 5 factories in Denmark and Sweden, with the loss of 3000 jobs.1011

In November 2010, Vestas shut down the 70-person staff advisory department 'Vestas Excellence', responsible for securing competitiveness, handling suppliers, Quality Assurance and globalization.2526 Vestas has a strategy of focusing on customers and quality rather than turbine price and market share.2 In January 2011, Vestas won the $1.5m (£940,000) Zayed Future Energy Prize in Abu Dhabi. As of 2011, Vestas wind turbines generate enough electricity to provide for 21 million people. 27 Research and development Vestas spent €92 million ($128 million), or 1.4% of revenue, on research and development in 2009. It has filed 787 wind turbine patents (165 in 2009) according to United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO), while General Electric has 666 and Siemens Wind Power has 242.28 In October 2009, Vestas and QinetiQ claimed a successful test of a stealth wind turbine blade mitigating radar reflection problems for aviation.29303132 As of December 2010, Vestas is continuing to work on development of a 6 MW offshore turbine.14 See also Wikinews has news related to: Eviction notice served on Vestas occupiers Food packages to Vestas occupiers cut off Vestas delays closure of Newport plant Vestas protesters sacked with immediate effect Vestas occupation continues; left-wing political parties voice support List of wind turbine manufacturers Renewable energy companies on the stock exchange Renewable energy industry Wind power Wind power in Denmark References Wikinews has related news: Vestas Cowes rooftop occupiers: "Save the environment, scuttle a NIMBY" ^ a b c d "Annual Report 2009". Vestas. http://www.e-pages.dk/vestasws/2/fullpdf/full4bb61e595ba32.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-02.  ^ a b c Reddall, Braden. Vestas will not chase market share at any price Reuters/BTM Consult, 1 September 2010. Accessed: 30 December 2010. ^ a b Acher, John. Vestas kept No. 1 spot in wind market -consultant Reuters/MAKE, 17 March 2010. Accessed: 30 December 2010. ^ a b c Goska Romanowicz (21 March 2007). "Profits soar for top wind turbine maker". Edie.net. Faversham House Group Ltd. http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=12798&channel=0. Retrieved 2009-01-22.  ^ a b Vestas History ^ Portfolio 21: Vestas Wind Systems Top Green Company of 2006 ^ a b "Wind Turbine Maker Vestas To Add 1,350 Colorado Jobs". KCNC. 2008-08-16. http://cbs4denver.com/seenon/vestas.colorado.wind.2.796234.html. Retrieved 2009-02-11. dead link ^ Vestas Breaks Ground in Colorado ^ a b c Siemers, Erik (August 18, 2010). "Vestas keeps HQ in Portland, moving to the Pearl". Portland Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/08/16/daily22.html. Retrieved 2010-08-31.  ^ a b Reuters ^ a b Financial Times ^ Vidal, John (January 19, 2011). "Vestas gives away energy prize winnings to runners-up". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/19/vestas-zayed-energy-prize-money.  ^ Vestas history: 1898-1969 ^ a b c Beattie, David (December 22, 2010). "Key Players in the Wind Energy: Pausing for Thought". Renewable Energy World. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/12/key-players?cmpid=WindNL-Thursday-December30-2010.  ^ Invest in Denmark ^ http://www.vestas.com/en/about-vestas/profile.aspx ^ Wind as a modern energy source: the Vestas view ^ Read, Richard (September 8, 2009). "Vestas looking at existing buildings for headquarters". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/09/vestas_looking_at_existing_bui.html. Retrieved 2010-08-31.  ^ Read, Richard; Manning, Jeff (August 18, 2010). "Oregon, Portland help wind turbine maker Vestas build $66 million HQ". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/oregon_portland_help_wind_turb.html. Retrieved 2010-08-31.  ^ a b c "Colorado Cluster: State Gets Another Vestas Facility",Wind Energy Weekly, May 14, 2010. ^ We face the challenge Vestas films ^ "V60-850 kW" (PDF). http://www.vestas.com/Files/Filer/Country%20sites/China/Vestas_V_60_China_LR.PDF. Retrieved 2009-08-17.  ^ Matthew Weaver and Steven Morris (21 July 2009). "Staff occupy Isle of Wight wind turbine plant in protest against closure". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/21/wind-turbine-factory-occupation. Retrieved 2009-07-21.  ^ Vestas expands wind turbine manufacturing in China and US as British demand collapses ^ Stage, Mie. Vestas fires 70 experts (in Danish) Ing.dk, 17 November 2010. Retrieved: 18 November 2010. ^ [1] (in Danish, paid access) Børsen, November 2010. Retrieved: 18 November 2010. ^ Vidal, John (January 19, 2011). "Vestas gives away energy prize winnings to runners-up". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/19/vestas-zayed-energy-prize-money.  ^ Rosen, Ellen. Intellectual Property Bloomberg, 11 October 2010. Retrieved: 11 October 2010. ^ QinetiQ and Vestas test 'stealth technology' for wind turbines Renewable Energy Focus, 26 October 2009. Retrieved: 22 September 2010. ^ 'Stealth' wind turbine blade may end radar problem Reuters via Cnet, 27 January 2010. Retrieved: 22 September 2010. ^ Fairly, Peter. Stealth-Mode Wind Turbines Technology Review, 2 November 2009. Retrieved: 22 September 2010. ^ Appleton, Steve. Stealth blades – a progress report QinetiQ. Retrieved: 22 September 2010. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vestas Wind Systems Companies portal Official website v · d · e OMX Copenhagen 20 companies of Denmark

A.P. Møller-Mærsk · Carlsberg · Chr. Hansen · Coloplast · Danisco · Danske Bank · DSV · FLSmidth & Co. · GN Store Nord · NKT Holding · Nordea · Novo Nordisk · Novozymes · Pandora · Sydbank · Topdanmark · TrygVesta · Vestas Wind Systems · William Demant

A.P. Møller-Mærsk · Carlsberg · Chr. Hansen · Coloplast · Danisco · Danske Bank · DSV · FLSmidth & Co. · GN Store Nord · NKT Holding · Nordea · Novo Nordisk · Novozymes · Pandora · Sydbank · Topdanmark · TrygVesta · Vestas Wind Systems · William Demant

A.P. Møller-Mærsk · Carlsberg · Chr. Hansen · Coloplast · Danisco · Danske Bank · DSV · FLSmidth & Co. · GN Store Nord · NKT Holding · Nordea · Novo Nordisk · Novozymes · Pandora · Sydbank · Topdanmark · TrygVesta · Vestas Wind Systems · William Demant

A.P. Møller-Mærsk · Carlsberg · Chr. Hansen · Coloplast · Danisco · Danske Bank · DSV · FLSmidth & Co. · GN Store Nord · NKT Holding · Nordea · Novo Nordisk · Novozymes · Pandora · Sydbank · Topdanmark · TrygVesta · Vestas Wind Systems · William Demant

A.P. Møller-Mærsk · Carlsberg · Chr. Hansen · Coloplast · Danisco · Danske Bank · DSV · FLSmidth & Co. · GN Store Nord · NKT Holding · Nordea · Novo Nordisk · Novozymes · Pandora · Sydbank · Topdanmark · TrygVesta · Vestas Wind Systems · William Demant