G.E. Energy expanded its footprint this week in Olive Branch with a move into a 212,880-square-foot distribution facility for wind turbine and solar technology replacement parts.
Officials celebrated the new central logistics center Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and cake. the ceremony was fortuitously graced with a morning breeze.
Seventy-six trucks packed up G.E.’s belongings this past weekend and moved them to the LEED-certified center. That means the building at 9124 Polk was constructed with energy conservation in mind.
The facility is three times larger than the one G.E. Energy left near FedEx Ground toward the southern end of the city. G.E. had been there only two years and needed more room.
“It just shows you our intention for the future,” said Diarmaid Mulholland, general manager of Global Wind Services for G.E. “We look forward to future growth.”
The facility employs about 30 people, but that figure is expected to grow as G.E. takes on more business in the field of renewable, or “green,” energy.
Five years ago, a typical turbine powered 400 homes, Mulholland said, but today can power up to 700.
“So the technology is advancing,” he said. “The fuel is free wind.”
G.E. owns about 10,000 wind turbines in the United States, Mulholland said.
Olive Branch Mayor Sam Rikard said he was amazed when G.E. informed his office that it would be locating some of its operations in Olive Branch. After all, he said, wind turbines are mostly out West, not in the South.
The turbines, about 200 feet tall with 120-foot-long blades, occasionally need servicing or maintenance. often, they are in less-than-easily accessible places.
“We’re talking islands of Alaska,” Mulholland said. “We’re talking West Texas.”
The Olive Branch facility assembles and distributes maintenance kits for the turbines. the facility also possesses all the tools for the job and will distribute solar panel parts, but not the panels themselves, said Brian D. Pier of G.E.’s Wind Renewable Energy division.
Generally, the parts and supplies are sent overnight, which is why G.E. wanted its logistics center close to FedEx in Memphis. “We use FedEx a lot,” said Karla Wisinski, facilities manager.
Company expands home in DeSoto is a post from: buildthesolarpanel.com