Suitors line up outside door

As it ramps up for commercial production of its Green Machine waste heat power generator, Carson City-based ElectraTherm says it has been inundated with requests from states across the U.S. to house the company's new expansion facility.

Bill Olson, senior vice president of business development, says ElectraTherm seeks a manufacturing facility between 100,000 and 200,000 square feet.

The privately held company expects to employ between 150 and 250 people in higher-paying jobs such as electricians, engineers, crane operators and forklift drivers. Interest from states desiring to house the company's manufacturing facility has been overwhelming, Olson says.

"We are in shock and awe it has created a level of attention that we are finding difficult to manage," he says. "I can't return calls fast enough, and I'll probably have to assign somebody fulltime addressing the level of interest."

Olson says ElectaTherm will make a decision in the next nine months about where to locate its new manufacturing facility. It seeks a building to sublease, as well as a state-funded grant and loan package.

"Whether we do it with equity capital or with a state that wants to participate, we are not so much interested in tax credits; we will be happy taxpayers," Olson says. "When we merge into a community we don't want to deprive it of the revenue we can generate."

ElectraTherm would prefer a location close to its facility on Goni Road, where it is prototyping new products and building the Green Machine generator because its products are extremely heavy, Olson says.

Nevada remains a choice to house the new facility, and the company also seeks a manufacturing facility overseas to facilitate entry into European markets.

"We are going to produce the first 10 or so machines in our facility here, and when we ramp up for commercial production we will build offshore for our offshore markets and onshore for domestic markets," Olson says.