Brad Foote Gear Works, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Broadwind Energy, Inc., has announced it has purchased 14 additional gear manufacturing systems from Höfler Company, Ettlingen Germany.

Brad Foote's total investment exceeds US$ 30 million and brings the number of Höfler machines the company owns to 29. With the new equipment, Brad Foote's annual production will grow from the current equivalent of 2,000MW of installed wind turbine capacity to more than 5,000MW. The new grinding/gashing machines, which are used in manufacturing wind turbine gear systems, will be installed in its two manufacturing facilities in Cicero, Illinois.