The Glasgow based manufacturer has grown in just a few years, from a handful of employees and single figure sales of their 11kW turbine to a major producer and exporter of Scottish manufactured farm scale turbines.
CEO Johnnie Andringa said:
“We are delighted at the recognition of the huge effort and imagination put into developing our company. It follows our achievement last year in winning the 2011 Scottish Renewables award for Business Growth.
“We created, in March 2011, a world class Global Hub integrating R&D, design engineering, production and testing, as well as global distribution and supply chain management. We are continuously building our presence in UK and export markets, announcing in 2012:
• Record single orders of 200 and 50 turbines respectively, for the UK and the United States.
• The opening of an office in Milan and the appointment of dealers for Italy
• The erection of the first Gaia-Wind turbine in France and the appointment of two French distribution partners; and
• Gaia-Wind has generated some 50 jobs in our Glasgow based company and potentially as many again in our supply chain.
“In part, at Gaia-Wind we are benefitting from the effect of massive retail energy price rises. Rural householders, business and farms are finding that with an easily affordable small wind turbine they can play a ‘Three Card Trick’, to achieve “energy Independence” from spiralling energy costs. They can:
• Offset their utilities bill by using the energy they generate – even switching from e.g. oil heating can be cost efficient
• Sell the remainder of their energy generation back to the Grid; and
• Still receive considerable FIT payments of 21 p for every Kilowatt generated.”
The citation from the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 table said: “The top company in Scotland is Glasgow-based wind turbine manufacturer Gaia Wind. Under chief executive Johnnie Andringa, sales have grown 168% a year from £348,000 in 2008 to £6.7m in 2011.
