Obama Talks Jobs at Wind Energy Company in Ohio

Obama traveled to Bedford Heights, Ohio to visit Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Company, which manufactures parts used to construct wind turbines.
Here's is the full transcript. Here is video:

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The American Wind Energy Association's Denise Bode said:

"The U.S. wind energy industry alone has opened or expanded more than 50 wind turbine component manufacturing facilities in the past two years, creating an estimated 9,000 domestic manufacturing jobs in 2008," added Bode, who will be present for the event. "With the right policies, the renewable energy industries are ready to meet the President-elect's call to double renewable energy production within three years and help drive our economy to recovery."

Cardinal Fastener is one of the few companies that will be hiring this year:

"Our company is planning for growth to meet expected increases in wind power sales, and is looking to add up to 40 full time associates in 2009 to our current 65," said Cardinal Founder and President John Grabner. Cardinal is the largest manufacturer of American-made large-scale threaded fasteners, which are used to bolt wind turbine towers, which can stand 200 feet tall or more, to their foundations. Cardinal uses only American-made materials and all production occurs at Cardinal's 95,000 square foot factory in Cleveland. The company has been in business for 25 years, and recently added a Wind Power team to meet demand from the expanding U.S. wind industry. 

Wind energy employs a relatively small number of workers:

About 80,000 U.S. workers are employed in the wind industry today, in jobs as varied as turbine component manufacturing, construction and installation of wind turbines, wind turbine operations and maintenance, services, and more. Wind power's recent growth has accelerated job creation, particularly in manufacturing, where the share of domestically manufactured wind turbine components has nearly doubled in three years, expanding from 25%-30% in 2005 to 50% in 2008. AWEA

Let's hope that as wind energy companies gear up to become more powerful, they set an example by treating their employees well.

Obama Talks Jobs In Ohio Jan. 16

Obama is going to Ohio to promote his jobs package. From Change.gov:

Washington—On Friday, January 16th, 2009, President-elect Barack Obama will travel to Bedford Heights, Ohio, to meet with workers and discuss an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, which would aim to save or create three to four million new American jobs and make the long-term investments needed to build a 21st century economy.

President-elect Obama will tour the Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Company, a growing company with innovative production practices that manufactures parts used to construct wind turbines. President-elect Obama will discuss how companies like Cardinal Fastener and workers like those in Bedford Heights would benefit from an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, which would aim to create nearly half a million American jobs by investing in clean energy like wind power.

President-elect Obama will tour the plant and then hold a meeting with workers on the factory floor. The meeting is by inviation only but open to the press. The tour will be pooled.