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Green success
Posted: 04.27.2009 at 10:15 PM
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Water may be wave of the future

NORWAY -- A nationwide effort is underway to develop alternative energy, such as wind, hydro and solar power.  For one company in Norway, the trend is good for business.  The United Kiser warehouse is a bustling scene of business as employees work on creating and repairing parts for the nation's hydroelectric power plants.

The business has been servicing these facilities for the last forty years.  With more and more people looking for green energy, they've been gaining momentum during a time when many places are struggling.

Over the last three years, United Kiser has tripled the number of employees that it has on staff.  This is not only good for business, but it's also helping to sustain the community.  Currently, the company employs fifty workers.

"The people I meet here, instead of having to go down south and go looking for work, they're staying here in the community," said Joe Gallino, the company's labor union representative.

The green movement is part of their success, however, advancing technology has played a major role as well.

"We have engineering, new designs, we have flow analysis, computer-aided programs to help make existing dams more efficient," Gallino, also shop manager for the company, said.

New designs on machinery, such as turbines and the runners that are turned by the water to produce energy, have increased efficiency by 10 percent.

United Kiser manufactures all of their own products on location in their warehouse.  In addition, they also have a field team that repairs and installs machinery at the dams themselves.

Currently, only about 10 percent of America is powered by hydroelectric energy, however, if United Kiser's success is any indication, that number could increase over the coming years.

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