Two Michigan entrepreneurs say they plan to begin putting thousands of people to work in the wind energy industry this summer. Global Wind Systems Inc. says it will employ 300 at its Novi assembly operations by this fall, building the central hubs of huge 1.5 megawatt wind turbines. CEO Chris Long likens the hubs to ’70-ton school buses in shape and size. Meanwhile, Gilbert Borman and his Borman Holdings LLC hope to act as a supplier of gears to Global Wind Systems. The dirty little secret of today’s rapidly growing American wind power industry is that virtually all of its hardware is imported from Europe, which has been pursuing wind power for 30 years now. Long and Borman aim to change that, with the enthusiastic support of state officials like Stanley ‘Skip Pruss, director and chief energy officer of the state Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. Long said Michigan’s long legacy manufacturing expertise gives it substantial advantages in wind turbine manufacturing, and global demand is astounding. Long said current industry figures show a global market for one 1.5 megawatt wind turbine to be built every 20 minutes, but […]