All Pawtucket All The Time

Hodges Badge leads Rhode Island in green manufacturing;
New turbine will make factory entirely wind powered.

Test Borings For Windmill

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (April 20, 2010) — With the construction of a 149-foot wind turbine this year, Hodges Badge Company will become the first Rhode Island manufacturing facility powered entirely by renewable energy.

The result of three years’ work with Integrity Energy Group of Portsmouth, R.I., the turbine will be installed behind the company’s factory on East Main Road. It will feature 47.5-foot blades that generate an estimated 451,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy, reducing the facility’s carbon dioxide emissions by 435,100 pounds per year.

“Combine concerns about the environment with the additional 5.3 percent energy cost increase expected this year, and installing the turbine was the ideal solution—both environmentally and economically,” says Hodges Badge President Rick Hodges. “With this technology and savings, we will be able to continue our firm commitment to American manufacturing.”

To help offset initial costs, Hodges Badge applied for and received a Renewable Energy fund grant provided by the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, and a federal stimulus grant allocated by the state Office of Energy Resources.

“We are thrilled to support companies like Hodges Badge,” said Keith Stokes, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation. “It’s such a success that they will be powered entirely by renewable energy and contribute to making Rhode Island a more green state.”

While the company originally considered installing solar panels on the factory’s roof, blustery Aquidneck Island on the Rhode Island coast provided a better natural sustainable energy source: the powerful wind. The turbine will be the fourth to be installed on the island and the third in Portsmouth. Over the past twenty years, the technological improvements in turbines have made them a reliable source of electricity with minimal impact on the community. 

The Hodges Badge Company’s turbine will feature automatic shut-off at 65 miles per hour and the ability to sustain winds up to 166 miles per hour. It has an estimated life of 25 years.

About Hodges Badge Company, Inc.
Hodges Badge Company, Inc. is the country’s leading custom manufacturer of quality made ribbons, rosettes, medals, sashes and buttons. Founded in 1920 by William F. Hodges, it is headquartered in Portsmouth, R.I. with plants in Portsmouth and Washington, Mo. The company sells its products via catalogs and the Internet for horse show and dog show managers, educators, drug awareness programs, sports and recreation groups, fairs/4-H, and retail markets. For more information, visit www.hodgesbadge.com.