BARRE, Vt., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Northern Power Systems, Inc. (www.northernpower.com), a next-generation wind turbine company and leading manufacturer of community wind turbines, today announced it named Taylor Robinson to the position of Vice President of Global Supply Chain. Mr. Robinson will apply decades of international supply chain experience and background in the wind industry to help Northern Power manage its supply chain network for its industry-leading permanent magnet direct drive (PMDD) turbine technology.
"We're exceptionally pleased to bring a world-class executive on board who has the experience and track record to lead Northern Power Systems' supply chain expansion to support the company's rapid growth," said John P. Danner, President and CEO of Northern Power Systems.
Mr. Robinson was formerly Executive Vice President of Supply Chain at Watts Water Technologies (NYSE: WTS), a global manufacturer of water quality, conservation and safety products, where he developed and executed a supply chain strategy for their North American and Asian businesses. His experience in the wind industry includes serving as a senior consultant to LM Glasfiber, a manufacturer of wind turbine blades, where he advised the company on development of a strategic plan for Global Sourcing Management. Mr. Robinson served previously as Chief Procurement Officer at HJ Heinz; Global Supply Chain Director at AlliedSignal/Honeywell International; and was a key leader in the strategic sourcing organization at Honda of America for 10 years. He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt with extensive Lean Manufacturing experience and is a graduate of Bowling Green State University.
"Northern Power Systems clearly has a well-differentiated product line with its advanced PMDD turbine technology," said Mr. Robinson. "I look forward to helping Northern establish the most sophisticated, high-quality manufacturing system in the industry and scaling the supply chain for significant growth."
As Vice President of Global Supply Chain, Mr. Robinson will manage and expand the supply chain for the Northwind® 100, Northern Power Systems' 100kW turbine designed for the community wind market. He will grow the company's roster of supply chain partners and manage long-term supply agreements as Northern Power Systems scales to meet demand for a future 2.2 MW turbine, which is set for prototype testing in 2010. In addition, he will ensure that the company's advanced in-line production and quality system - already in place at the company's 100,000 square foot Barre, Vermont manufacturing facility for the Northwind 100 - is successfully integrated with suppliers in both the community and utility-scale businesses. The system will document all fabrication, assembly and testing steps down to the component level. It will also incorporate field service and performance data, and as a result, Northern will have an electronic record for each of its turbines that will deliver the highest standards of quality and turbine lifetime reliability.
About Northern Power Systems
Northern Power Systems has over 30 years of experience in developing advanced, innovative wind turbines. The company's next generation wind turbine technology is based on a vastly simplified architecture that utilizes a unique combination of a permanent magnet generator and direct-drive design. This revolutionary new approach delivers higher energy capture, eliminates drive-train noise, and significantly reduces maintenance and downtime costs. The company currently manufactures the Northwind 100 turbine, designed specifically for community wind applications such as schools/universities, businesses, commercial farms, and municipalities. Next year, the company plans to launch a 2.2MW turbine into the utility-scale marketplace for wind farm applications. Northern Power Systems is a fully integrated company that designs, manufactures, and sells wind turbines into the global marketplace from its headquarters in Vermont, USA. For additional information, please visit www.northernpower.com.
SOURCE Northern Power Systems, Inc.
