"We are in the process of building out our supply chain," says company CEO Steve Taber. "Our components have historically come from western Europe, but increasingly we are looking to Asia and North America, where we can get shorter lead times and better prices." Nordic expects to source most of its components from the US, Canada, China, South Korea, India, and some Latin American countries. In addition it has long time partnerships with firms in Denmark and Germany, including German gearbox supplier Jahnel-Kestermann. The Idaho location has good regional port and nearby rail access. Nordic is majority supported by investment bank Goldman Sachs, which made a sizeable yet undisclosed investment in the company last fall. A further cash investment by Goldman Sachs has also been supplemented by money from Impax Asset Management, a clean energy investment fund. Goldman Sachs is also an investor in Nordic's South Korean tower supplier.
Beyond building a financial basis, the company is also expanding its talent pool, including the appointment of British wind industry veteran Charles Gamble as chief technology officer. Gamble moved to Nordic from Garrad Hassan and at one time worked for America's largest wind turbine supplier, Kenetech, before that company's collapse. Mervyn Davies, chairman of international bank Standard Chartered, has accepted a role as Nordic's chairman. A possible initial public offering of Nordic “uåX˜äŠÊ˜·³Ç stock is being considered, according to Wired magazine, which quoted Nordic vice president Eric Thompson as its source. The company declines to confirm the news.
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