Perth company Autodom Ltd (formerly a.i. Ltd) has acquired a 50 per cent shareholding in Micro Wind Turbines Australia Pty Ltd (MWTA), which will be licensed to distribute the SWIFT micro wind turbine nationally.
This move represents a diversification by Autodom away from its traditional focus on the automotive sector.
Its partner in the wind turbines business is insurance company Insurance Australia Group.
Developed by Scottish company Renewable Devices Swift Turbines Ltd, SWIFT is the world's first silent building-mountable wind turbine.
Autodom said the product will present an energy solution with minimal environmental impact, with installations across the world reducing carbon emissions by 1.4 tonnes in one year.
It said its investment was partially driven by the South Australian (SA) government's leadership in developing business opportunities for companies that want to follow in its climate change initiatives.
The SA government has ordered 40 SWIFT turbines for its buildings, with a number of other SA organisations indicating their interest.
The SWIFT investment followed various company structural changes over the past year. It completed a demerger of its construction subsidiary, creating Forge Group Ltd, in June last year.
The company then went on to change its name from a.i. Ltd to Autodom Ltd in December 2007.
It acquired Dair Industries, a South Australian automotive parts manufacturer, in September 2007, and Kozma Industries, a Victorian based automotive components manufacturer last month.
aiAutomotive CEO, Mr. Chris Shellis, has expressed his excitement about the move, commenting "this is a significant new initiative for our organisation.
"To be able to leverage our manufacturing capability, diversify our business base and at the same time make a real contribution to climate change is both exciting and very satisfying."
