Jun. 25--A Washington investment company has grand plans to get a handful of idled Indiana auto plants -- and their laid-off employees -- moving again by mass producing wind turbines.

But some big ifs stand in the way.

The D'Arcinoff Group still is trying to secure financing to lease manufacturing plants here and in seven other states. The goal is to build wind turbines that will generate electricity for Europe and provide synthetic fuel to the aviation industry.

Overall, the company is looking for about 35 million square feet of manufacturing space.

But Michael Darcy, CEO of the D'Arcinoff Group, said the financing portion of the plan is in its "baby steps." The company is awaiting approval for federal loan guarantees from the Export-Import Bank of the United States. That could take months.

But if all goes as planned, Darcy hopes to produce turbines early next year, partly under the corporate banner of Eco-Dawn.

The company hopes to have more than 100,000 workers at 25 sites across the U.S. and Europe. They would manufacture, operate and service the wind turbines and other equipment.

Indiana could have six or seven sites with as many as 20,000 employees, including a manufacturing headquarters. Darcy wouldn't say what sites the company is considering, but said it is eyeing empty plants that still have auto-making equipment.

D'Arcinoff Group says it is working with the Indiana Economic Development Corp., as well as with officials from seven other states, to help do just that. Negotiating leases would be state officials' job, Darcy said.

"We're several months into this," he said. "We've been working with the state to identify which locations we want."

IEDC spokeswoman Blair West declined to comment on the state's involvement.

The development corporation's Web site lists several auto-related factories as available for development, including the BorgWarner plant in Muncie and GM Plant 20 in Anderson.

Call Star reporter Erika D. Smith at (317) 444-6424.

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