Global Future Energy Holdings Inc., a company affiliated with Dutch energy-technology firm Advanced Green Energy Alliance Holding, formed a U.S. subsidiary and opened its first U.S. distribution center earlier this month in Spokane Valley.

The subsidiary, Prestyl USA LLC, has contracted with longtime Valley manufacturer Ecolite Manufacturing Inc. to build an infrared, thin-film heating panel that can be mounted on a wall or placed as a ceiling panel, says Ecolite CEO Ed Caferro. The technology originally was developed in France, but Prestyl has acquired the rights to make and sell the product outside of France, Caferro says.

Marius de Mos, president and CEO of the Dutch company, couldn't be reached for comment. However, Greater Spokane Incorporated, the Spokane-based economic-development organization, was involved in recruiting the company to the Spokane area.

In a GSI press release, de Mos said, "We began looking at sites across the U.S. for our first production facility in 2005. Spokane stood out as an ideal location due to available sites, a strong work force, and the relationships we forged with Greater Spokane Incorporated and Ecolite."

Prestyl has leased 2,500 square feet of office and warehouse space at 9711 E. Knox and has hired its first three employees here. Additional potential for job growth, however, lies at Ecolite, says Caferro.

Ecolite started manufacturing the first batch of 400 panels for Prestyl this week and expects to complete that order yet this month. He says Ecolite expects to ramp up production quickly and is projecting that it will be making 8,000 to 10,000 panels per month by the end of the year. As a result, it expects to add as many as 20 employees by the end of the year. The 40-year-old company currently has 180 employees, Caferro says.

Gary Mallon, GSI's technology industry manager, said in a press release, "This project has been exciting and unique in that it provides a multifaceted win for our organization and the greater community—incorporating elements of business recruitment, business expansion, and foreign direct investment."

Ecolite is building the infrared, thin-film panels in three sizes: 24 inches square, 24 inches by 48 inches, and 41 inches square. Caferro says the first two sizes are designed to fit in ceiling panels, while the third is designed to be mounted on a wall. The wall panels can be wrapped in custom-designed graphics and hung as art. Caferro says the company is contracting with Coeur d'Alene-based Digital Color Print Center to make the graphics for the panels.

In addition to manufacturing the heating panels, Ecolite has built a prototype of a small wind turbine for Prestyl and currently is testing it at Ecolite's Valley facility, at 2622 N. Woodruff, Caferro says. He says the company could begin mass producing the wind turbines for Prestyl later this year.

While Ecolite and Prestyl currently are making products developed in Europe and bringing them to the U.S. market, Caferro says they also are in talks with Inland Northwest companies that are developing energy-related products about introducing their technologies to the European market. Caferro says those companies include Demand Energy Networks Inc., a Liberty Lake-based startup that makes energy-storage technology and related products, and Flyback Energy Inc., a Spokane Valley company that has developed technology that captures lost energy and converts it into usable power.

The GSI release said Thom Morrow will serve as Prestyl USA's president and lead its sales and marketing effort. Christine de Mos will serve as CFO and administrative executive, and Lisa Shipper is its operations manager.

Mark Lucas, of Kiemle & Hagood Co., handled the lease on the East Knox space.