MINNEAPOLIS (September 14, 2010) – Ryan Companies US, Inc. has completed the design-development phase on a new facility that will assemble wind turbine nacelles for Alstom Wind in Amarillo, Texas. Construction to build the 115,000-square-foot facility started in August on a 19-acre site.

Ryan is providing architectural and engineering services for the project, including interior and landscape design, as well as consultant services for civil, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering. This is Ryan’s first project where they are providing professional services only for new construction. The Ryan team used Building Information Modeling (BIM) to visualize the project, including estimating construction costs and energy use. BIM software provides a three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building model to ensure productivity in design and construction.

“Ryan was outstanding at listening to our needs in bringing our 1.67 MW and 3MW wind turbine platforms, featuring the proven ALSTOM PURE TORQUETM technology for higher gearbox reliability, to the North American market,” said Andy Geissbuehler, vice president and general manager of Alstom Wind North America. “Based on their deep experience, they were able to integrate solutions into the design that will directly translate into long-term benefits for Alstom Wind and our customers.”

In line with the company's "clean power" strategy, Alstom Wind asked Ryan to develop a facility design that would be eligible for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The Ryan team incorporated many energy-efficient, water-saving and other green strategies to ensure a successful LEED project. These include a roof-mounted photovoltaic array to produce clean solar energy; the use of bioswales to filter solids and contaminants before stormwater exits the site and discharges into waterways; and the reuse and re-purposing of materials from the existing warehouse on-site into the finished facility.

When operational in 2011, the assembly facility will serve as Alstom Wind North America’s manufacturing hub. Alstom is an international power and transportation company with more than €23 billion* in annual revenues and 96,500 employees worldwide.

Alstom Wind selected the Amarillo site because of its central location to customers, proven workforce and strong support for business partners. “Equally important was making sure the building design would deliver on all of our top priorities,” Geissbuehler said. “Those included our environmental, health and safety goals, plus support for building the highest levels of quality and reliability into our products.”

Randy Gould, director of architecture for Ryan, said, “We’ve had a great experience collaborating with Alstom and developing a design that truly meets their business objectives in the United States.  We’ve demonstrated that the value we bring is distinctly different from our A+E competitors, especially because we understand key issues as an owner, developer, contractor, investor and manager of major facilities.”

Alstom’s new assembly facility is expected to create 275 green manufacturing jobs in Amarillo when at full capacity, and it also will help meet the growing demand for clean, renewable wind energy across North America.

About Alstom
Alstom is a global leader in the world of power generation, power transmission and rail infrastructure, and sets the benchmark for innovative and environmentally friendly technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids. The Group employs 96,500 people in more than 70 countries, and had sales of over € 23 billion* in 2009/10. For more information, visit: www.alstom.com

About LEED
Developed and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders, the LEED rating system is designed to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being. The LEED rating system for new construction offers four certification levels for new construction — Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. See the U.S. Green Building Council web site for more information: www.usgbc.org.

About Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Ryan Companies US, Inc. a nationally recognized designer, contractor, developer and real estate manager, has specialized in fully integrated solutions for more than 70 years. Ryan builds lasting relationships with a project delivery model based on full-service customized solutions and total collaboration – pairing the customer’s needs and expectations with the talents of a team of architects, engineers, constructors, developers, financiers and property managers. In addition to its Minneapolis office, Ryan has offices in Chicago, Phoenix, San Diego, Tampa, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Des Moines. Ryan was named the 2007 National Developer of the Year by the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAIOP). For more information, please visit www.ryancompanies.com

Editor’s note: Interviews with Ryan executives are available by contacting Madeline Riggs at 612-455-1755 or mriggs@psbpr.com.