Manufacturing Resource Partners Blog

A proposed green energy plant got the go-ahead Monday for its plans to put a $20 million manufacturing facility and a wind and solar energy farm in Ocmulgee East Industrial Park. Despite lingering questions about the company’s financial standing, the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority approved a six-month option to NW Technologies for 30 acres at the park. The company’s plan would create 150 new jobs over five years. Those workers would have a new place to eat and gas up their cars if another plan pitched to the authority comes to fruition.

The proposal was referred to the authority’s properties committee next meeting later this month. Ashkouti said McDonald’s officials hope to break ground in six weeks. The NW Technologies project would be at least partly financed through EB-5, a federal program that encourages foreign investment in exchange for fast-tracked visas. The company would be the first brought in since an 11-county area was designated last March as the “Middle Georgia Regional Center” under the EB-5 program. Grace Chu, NW Technologies’ head of marketing, has said NW Technologies has $3 million lined up so far in foreign investors.

Its parent company, WINPRO Japan, already provides solar- and wind-powered energy in Japan and other parts of Asia. Company officals first asked for the option in October. However, delays in getting the required financial documents from the company postponed any vote. The option charges the company a $2,500 fee while allowing the authority to nix the deal if not satisfied with progress after six months. The authority’s properties committee recommended approving the option because of the “low risk” to the authority. The first phase of the project would include a $5 million investment on 5 acres to build a manufacturing facility to build the solar and wind power generators. That phase would create 25 direct jobs and would be completed in 12 months.

Subsequent phases would add an energy farm and a research and development center for nanotechnology.

To contact writer Rodney Manley, call 744-4623.