Wind turbine maker Clipper Windpower has hired Mauricio Quintana, 42, a director at United Technologies (UTC), as chief executive officer and president, effective immediately — see here for the full press release.
Quintana, a native of Costa Rica, replaces Doug Pertz, who took over as the company’s CEO and president in September 2008.
Is Quintana’s appointment an initial first step that could pave the way to a large investment by UTC?
Reuters reports that last month, UTC said it was considering becoming a majority-owner of Clipper. The company already owns a 49.5 percent stake in Clipper, which it acquired for £166 million ($270 million / €183 million).
AIM-listed Clipper, Reuters reports, is expected to post a loss for the second half of this year because of order deferrals and the delayed commissioning of turbines.
Last month the company announced that it would build a factory, near the town Tyne, in the north of England, that initially will supply blades to the 10 megawatts Britannia offshore wind project. At full capacity production at the plant is expected to average 1 gigawatt a year.
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