TRENTON – A former railcar plant has been transformed into a wind turbine tower and blade manufacturing facility that claims it will create hundreds of jobs for Nova Scotians.
Premier Darrell Dexter and Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Ltd. (DSME) president and CEO Sang-Tae Nam celebrated the grand opening of DSME Trenton Ltd. (DSTN) today, June 14.
"Congratulations to everyone who has played a part in creating a world class manufacturing facility in DSTN," said Premier Dexter. "This investment is already creating the good jobs the province needs while showcasing Nova Scotia as a leader in renewable energy."
Dexter and Nam completed the transformation by officially starting the company's production line at the Trenton, Pictou Co. facility.
The plant has more than 100 workers, and will continue to expand as new orders are received. With orders for 30 towers, the grand opening marks DSME's entry into the renewable energy industry.
"We are very pleased with the results of our expansion into the North American market, and our strong partnership with the province and the Pictou area," said DSTN CEO Nam-Ki Lee. "The progress we see here today underlines that we are well on our way to creating a renewable energy cluster in Nova Scotia."
The province secured a 49 per cent stake in the operation through investments made in 2010 to establish DSTN as a joint venture between the province and DSME at the former TrentonWorks site. An additional $10 million was invested by the government of Canada.
"Today, thanks to the hard of work of countless people in our community, we welcome a new employer to Pictou County, and a new green technology partner to Nova Scotia," said Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, on behalf of ACOA Minister Bernard Valcourt. "The federal government is proud to have been a driving force behind bringing industry and jobs back to Pictou County. In the wake of the global economic recession, we are creating jobs and supporting the kind of growth that contributes to a sustainable future for our region and for Canada."
DSME is a diversified company and one of the world's largest ship builders. The South Korean-based company was established in 1973 and today is a first-class builder of commercial and naval ships and offshore projects. In 2009, DSME acquired DeWind Inc., an American wind turbine engineering company, and announced plans to expand into the wind-power sector and build a production plant in North America. South Korea-based Daewoo is publicly listed on the Korean Stock Exchange.
