Vestas may move jobs from Oregon to Colorado

Danish wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems A/S (OMX: VWS) may opt to consolidate sales and services jobs in Colorado, from Portland, Ore., according to a report published Saturday in the Oregonian.

The article cited several unnamed sources saying the company was actively considering shrinking its operations in Portland and moving those jobs to Colorado. How many jobs would be affected isn’t clear.

In an e-mail Monday, Vestas spokesman Michael Zarin declined to discuss any consolidation activity, saying only that the company was continually evaluating its options.

“No decisions have been made regarding the Vestas presence in Portland,” he said.

Vestas employs more than 1,400 people in Colorado at four factories in Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo. The company’s employment has fluctuated in recent years, reaching a high of nearly 1,800 workers in 2012.

Vestas plans to hire more than 850 people at its Colorado factories this year after securing orders for nearly 900 turbines in 2013. Employment, even without any additional jobs from Portland, is projected to top 2,000 workers this year, its highest ever in Colorado.

BizWest reporter Steve Lynn contributed to this report.

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