Business Is Booming For Windmill Companies

Business Is Booming For Windmill Companies ENERGY Wind Power 25-2-6 Windmills are popping up everywhere, particularly in the Western Corn Belt and Plains states. There are only a handful of windmill manufacturers left in the U.S. Aermotor Windmill Co., San Angelo, Texas, in business since 1888, will sell a new 8-ft. motor, fan and tower for about $3,200. If you have a windmill to restore, you can buy parts from the company. But you don't have to pay new price for parts. There are two companies in South Dakota that are in the business of rebuilding and refurbishing used windmills. They'll sell you parts or completely rebuilt assemblies. Muller Industries, Yankton, has been salvaging, refurbishing, and selling windmills for more than 20 years. Operated by Peg Muller, the company specializes in Aermotor windmills or those made by Fiasa, the manufacturer's Argentine sister company. Dakota Windmill & Supply Inc., Hurley, is owned by Larry Rechnagel. Dakota Windmill restores windmills and also manufactures its own replacement parts as well as complete new windmills based on the old Chicago-style windmills. Both companies sell through dealers, so if you're looking to buy a windmill or parts, your first contact should be your local well driller or other dealer who handles such things. If you don't know of a local dealer, you can contact either company or Aermotor directly to help locate one. Rebuilt windmills sell for around $600 and up, depending on size. And this price doesn't include a tower or shipping to your location. New windmills may cost twice as much as a refurbished one. In order to rebuild windmills, both Muller Industries and Dakota Windmill need windmills to rebuild and to salvage parts from. If you have a non-working windmill that you'd like to sell, you can expect anywhere from $50 to as much as $1,400 for it, depending on the style and model. Working Aermotors with no missing parts are worth more than non-working ones. You can call either company for an estimate, but neither company will buy sight-unseen, so you'll have to wait until a company representative has inspected the windmill to get a firm bid on it. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dakota Windmill and Supply, 28043 SD Hwy 19, Hurley, S. Dak. 57036 (ph 888 777-3772; fax 605 238-5668; E-mail: dws@dtgnet.com); or Muller Industries, Inc., 1102 W. 21st St., Yankton, S. Dak. 57058 (ph 605-665-1924; E-mail: mullerind@dtgnet.com).

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