Renewables: America's next heavy industry

How three manufacturers in three Midwest states are picking up where the auto sector is laying off.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — About 200 miles south of Detroit, America’s industrial heartland gives way to the Ohio countryside.

Here lies the tiny town of Minster, off I-75 past the Ford factory, the Mazda factory, the Jeep factory and the massive coal and nuclear plants that keep them all running.

Surrounded by farms, a family-run manufacturer is getting in on the business everyone from President Obama on down hopes will clear the air, wean the country off imported energy, and replace the fast-disappearing auto jobs: Making parts for the burgeoning renewable energy sector.

For the last two years, the Minster Machine Company has been forging the giant cast-iron hubs that keep the blades attached to the center of a wind turbine.

“The wind market for us was a diversification strategy,” said John Winch, who followed his father, grandfather and great-grandfather in helming the 103-year old company. Minster Machine also makes the equiptment that make the parts for the auto, medical and food industries, among others.

But it’s more than just a diversification strategy. It’s a bet that the market for renewable energy products will take off.

CNN