Ark. Wind Turbine Plant On Hold

Wind turbine manufacturer with plans to employ 600 people at a factory near Little Rock put its plant 'on ice' but has not decided to cancel its central Arkansas plans.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- A wind turbine manufacturer with plans to employ 600 people at a factory near Little Rock says its plans are on hold.

Frank Epps, president of the U.S. subsidiary of Dutch firm Emergya Wind Technologies, told Arkansas Business that availability of short-term credit is behind the delay.

Epps told the newspaper that the company has put the Polymarin plant "on ice" but has not decided to cancel its central Arkansas plans.

When the plant was announced, Polymarin said it would spend $16 million to fit a former Levi Strauss plant south of Little Rock and that the site would eventually have 600 workers.

The company is one of several wind energy firms that have either built or announced factory plans in Arkansas.

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