Wind Today - Q4 2008 - (Page 74) Industry Profile Years with Company: 20 Years in the Industry: 10 Born: 1953, St. Paul, MN Family: Married for 32 years with three children ages 28, 24, and 22. industry needs to proactively manage costs through the Lean or Kaizen process to drive out waste and deliver the right product on time, economically, and safely. The biggest trend in the industry: Looking for ways to increase the size of individual wind projects to deliver more megawatts into the grid. This trend needs to be carefully weighed and balanced with resource constraints and time demands in delivering a commercial operating wind project. What I predict for the industry in the next three years: The wind industry will continue to grow at a very aggressive pace with 20-30% growth each year. Wind turbine sizes will increase, however, a 3.0 +/- MW turbine will probably be the largest land-deployed turbine in North America. Project sizes will grow and demands on suppliers and contractors will increase. There will also be continued consolidation of wind energy developers/ owners. Personal Highlights: I was responsible for Mortenson Construction’s entrance into the wind energy business and have been involved in all of the company’s 70+ completed wind projects. Ten years ago, some people wondered if the wind industry was a market that Mortenson should be involved with; today we are the leading wind farm EPC contractor in North America. It is rewarding for me to see that growth and know that I contributed to Mortenson’s involvement in the wind industry business. Hobbies: Boating, snowmobiling and waterskiing. WIND TODA Y Fourth Quarter 2008 Jerry Jerry Grundtner Mortenson Construction Vice President Project Development|Energy Group 700 Meadow Lane North Minneapolis, MN 55422 763-287-5513 www.mortenson.com Education: A.A. degree 1973, Dunwoody Industrial Institute, Minneapolis, MN. Career: I have been in the construction industry for 35 years, involved in water and wastewater treatment plants, hydro electric generation, and simple cycle gas generation. For the last 10 years, I have worked exclusively in the wind power industry. My personal key to success: Hard work and an unwavering commitment to meeting our customers’ expectations aligned with Mortenson’s core values. My biggest challenge: Managing the rapid growth within the wind industry from a resource standpoint—which includes people and commodities. I meet that challenge by: Continually communicating with our customers, stakeholders, and other industry experts. What I like about the wind industry: The continued growth and opportunity that the industry offers. This is a multibillion-dollar industry, but still feels, in many respects, like it did 10 years ago— many of the same relationships and people are involved today as when the industry was trying to grow from a boutique industry to a main stream power generation market. Key to the growth of the industry: Solving the transmission constraint issue and continuing to look for ways to bring added value to the industry. The Jerry Grundtner serves on the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) board of directors. “I have been involved with AWEA for the last nine years and have been on the Board of Directors for the last three years.” “During that time I have seen AWEA grow into one of the most respected, wellorganized and managed trade associations in the United States.” —Jerry Grundtner 74 http://www.mortenson.com http://www.mortenson.com
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