Elgin will soon be home to another 'green' business

Elgin has landed another "green" industry to complement its Siemens Winergy plant, which opened in August 2009 with much fanfare and even a visit from Gov. Pat Quinn.

Mayor Ed Schock announced Wednesday that the India-based Suzlon Wind Energy Corp. chose Elgin for a new, 65,000-square-foot distribution and training center for the Northwest Corporate Park.

Elgin edged out larger cities like Denver and Minneapolis in a national search by Suzlon, one of the largest wind energy companies in the world, Schock noted.

"This is a huge coup for Elgin," the mayor said. "It continues to establish Elgin as a place people are looking to for growing alternative energy businesses."

Schock said Suzlon buys gear drives from Siemens, and the training center, which will bring 20 people to town every two weeks for instruction on how to maintain Suzlon windmills, will open in April 2011.

"Over the course of the year, hundreds and hundreds of people will be visiting and staying in Elgin," Schock said.

The distribution center will open in early October.