A conference next week in Cedar Rapids will help metal fabricating and machining shops find ways to identify and capitalize on markets in wind energy markets.

The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association’s Second Annual Wind Energy Conference: Opportunities for Suppliers, will held Tuesday, August 31, and Wednesday, Sept. 1, at Kirkwood Community College.

Eastern Iowa has developed one of the nation’s largest clusters of wind energy manufacturers, with companies such as Clipper Windpower in Cedar Rapids and Acciona Windpower in West Branch.

Participants in the conference will have a chance to tour Acciona’s turbine generator assembly plant and Kirkwood’s precision sheet metal and CNC machining labs. At least eight companies will provide tabletop exhibits of products and services.

Speakers will include Rahul Gangulee, director of supply chain for Siemens and Winergy Drive Systems; Tom Maves, deputy director of manufacturing and supply chain for the American Wind Energy Association; Dan Radomski, co-founder of Kinetik Partners; Dale Reckman, director of field services for the Great Lakes WIND Network and Perry Wozney, director of strategic procurement for Acciona Windpower North America.

The conference will be run from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday.