Spirit AeroSystems Inc., a manufacturer of commercial airplane assemblies and components, will open a new design, fabrication, and assembly plant in Kinston, North Carolina. The plans call for an investment of more than $570 million and at least 1,000 jobs over a six-year period. The expansion comes along with the Kansas-based company's announcement of an agreement with Airbus to design and produce a fuselage structure for the A350 XWB (Extra Wide-Body) program. "The state of North Carolina met our requirements for financial incentives, and this location offers a strong industrial base, a runway and port access, a growing labor force, and an excellent technical training system," says Jeff Turner, Spirit's president and CEO. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with operations to start in 2010.