Jul 28 2005
GKN Aerospace announced today a 120,000 sq. ft. expansion of its Tallassee, Alabama facility as a result of the additional work the site has won across its customer base and the recent award by GE Engines on the GEnx Engine Program. The expansion will create an additional 250 jobs within GKN Aerospace and will increase GKN’s investment in the State of Alabama by $20M.
“This expansion signifies the commitment GKN has to the employees, community, and State of Alabama to continue bringing high quality manufacturing work into the area,” says Paul Cocker, Vice President and General Manager of GKN Aerospace – Alabama. “We value our partnership with the State, City of Tallassee, and Elmore County Officials and thank them for their continued support on this project.”
"Alabama's economy is the strongest it has been in years and this latest industry expansion is another sign we're on the right track'" Governor Bob Riley said. "On behalf of all Alabamians, I commend GKN and its leaders for this decision and I thank the company's employees for their hard work and productivity."
The Tallassee site is a GKN owned facility with 260,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing floor space. Expanding the site will provide additional lay-up and assembly operations for the high performance composite structures manufactured at the site.
Jay Fitzsimmons, President and CEO of GKN Aerospace – Aerostructures states: “Our decision to expand in Alabama emphasises our commitment to our customers and reaffirms our commitment to Alabama and our workforce in providing a state-of-the-art manufacturing capability at competitive prices.”
The GKN Aerospace - Alabama facility supports programs for both civil and military markets by providing fixed wing and rotor aircraft composite structures and assemblies. Major programs include; Sikorsky’s Blackhawk helicopter, Airbus’ A330/340 & A380 jetliners, the F/A-22 Raptor for Lockheed Martin, and the new GEnx engine for GE.
Ground breaking on the new area will take place in the fall of 2005 with an estimated completion in the spring of 2007.