March 1987: |
Southwest Windpower, an Arizona corporation, was established in early 1987 by David Calley and Andy Kruse who saw a need for a small, reliable battery charging wind generator that complements photovoltaics (solar energy or PV) in supplying energy to rural areas of the world.
The first product the company developed was a 300 watt wind generator called the WINDSEEKER. This was a simple design made from a modified Ford alternator. |
June 1994: |
The Air series wind turbine was introduced to the public with shipments commencing in November of that year. Approximately 18,000 Air Marine™, Air Wind Module™, and Air Industrial™ wind turbines were produced and shipped to over 100 countries, making it the best selling battery charging wind turbine in history. |
October 1998: |
The Company introduced a more refined version called the Air 403, a more robust 400-watt design. During 1999, more than 12,000 Air wind turbines were shipped, about double the production of its nearest competitor. |
April 2000: |
Southwest Windpower acquired the operations of World Power Technologies of Duluth, Minnesota, a manufacturer of wind turbines ranging from 900 to 3000 watts. Management felt this acquisition was vital to address sudden market changes towards larger machines for the grid-connected market. Sales decreased significantly for the first three quarters of 2000 after the “Y2K” concern never materialized and management’s focus on the acquisition. |
June 2000: |
The Company purchased a new manufacturing facility located at 1519 N. Main Street in Flagstaff. The 11,500 sq. ft. building was expanded to 19,000 sq. ft. in 2003. As part of a consolidation plan, all offices, Air, Whisper H40, H89 and 175 production lines were be relocated to the new facility. |
September 2000: |
Southwest Windpower became the first wind turbine manufacturer to receive UL and IEC certification for its Air series wind turbines. Air is the first wind turbine to receive these important certifications for safety and reliability. This approval boosted sales of its industrial turbine into the telecom market and its land series into commercial areas where insurance and zoning restrictions have previously prevented the use of similar products. |
January 2002: |
The Company introduced the Air-X, the first microprocessor based micro-wind turbine. This breakthrough in design improved the performance by more than 20% and significantly reduced noise in high winds. To date over 90,000 Air wind turbines have been sold worldwide. AIR continues to be the best selling small wind turbine in every market segment worldwide. |
April 2002: |
The United States Export Import bank nominated the company as the “Small Business Exporter of the Year”. This was due to the company’s continuous effort to expand its international marketing objectives. In 2002, more than 50% of its product shipped to 62 countries. Southwest Windpower was also elected to the Ex-Im Bank’s renewable energy advisory board that is designed to assist the Bank in expanding its portfolio of renewable energy loans as mandated by Congress in 1988. |
February 2005: |
Southwest Windpower relocated to its new production facility in West Flagstaff, doubling production space. The new facility opened with 60 employees In 2006 the facility was expanded to a total of 34,000 sq. ft. and employed 83 people. |
April 2006: |
Southwest Windpower announced completion of an $8 million Series-B equity investment led by RockPort Capital Partners, a venture capital firm in Boston. CTTV Investments LLC, the venture capital arm of Chevron Technology Ventures and existing shareholder Altira Technology Fund IV LP of Denver also participated in the financing. This funding followed two years of solid growth by Southwest Windpower, as sales of small wind generators increased 50 percent per year in 2004, 2005 and 2006. |
October 2006: |
Skystream 3.7® begins shipping to North American customers. Skystream offers a simple, all-in-one solution to harnessing wind energy on a residential scale. Different from all other technologies, Skystream is the first all-inclusive wind generator with the controls and inverter built in. Skystream 3.7 was awarded Best of What's New by Popular Science magazine and received national media attention in 2006. |
