Vestas To Temporarily Halt Colorado Production

Danish wind-turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S plans to halt production at its Windsor, Colo., blade manufacturing plant in the first part of 2010 due to lack of orders.

WINDSOR, Colo. (AP) -- The Danish wind-turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S plans to halt production at its Windsor blade manufacturing plant in the first part of 2010.

Vestas spokesman Peter Kruse says most, if not all, of the plant's 500 employees at the plant will be placed on furlough. No layoffs are planned. He says the move is a temporary setback.

Kruse says the first quarter of the year is historically slow, but credit markets are also tight and gas prices are relatively low. He says the company is building up slowly due to a lack of orders.

Earlier this fall, Vestas had said the economic slowdown would slow its U.S. hiring and building, with hiring already halted at two plants being built in Brighton.

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