Leading wind turbine blade manufacturer, LM Wind Power, ramps up capacity in its US manufacturing base, adding more than 850 jobs to support increased volumes from major customers.

LM Wind Power, the world’s leading supplier of blades for wind turbines, announced that it has doubled its US workforce in less than six months from 350 in April to a little more than 700 in August.

The company continues to expand significantly into next year, expecting to employ around 1200 people in the US in 2014.

The additional staff will work in LM Wind Power’s factories in Grand Forks, North Dakota and Little Rock, Arkansas and serve the demand in the US market where the company is seeing increased volumes from key customers, following the extension of the Production Tax Credit late last year.

“We are pleased to see that the market is improving again following a period of low activity due to uncertainty around the PTC,” said LM Wind Power’s Head of US Operations, Bill Burga Jr.

“With the political framework in place, our customers are winning more business again and we are ready to serve their demand for highly efficient quality blades for the US market, adding hundreds of extra jobs. Now it is crucial that the politicians remain committed to securing a stable economic framework to enable continued industry growth and increased US employment.”

LM Wind Power will have around 570 employees in Grand Forks and little more than 400 in Little Rock at the end of 2013, adding another 250 in 2014. With the continued expansion of the workforce, LM Wind Power’s US factories will be among the company’s biggest. LM Wind Power operates 14 blade manufacturing plants across Americas, Europe and Asia.