GE Aviation Opens $75 Million Jet Engine Factory In Auburn, Alabama
04/29/2013
The company said by the end of 2013, GE expects to hire 50 employees. Based on current demand for its jet engines, GE expects to hire 300 to 400 people when the plant is at full ramp-up later this decade.
The Auburn facility will manufacture high-pressure turbine airfoils. The plant will deliver its first parts later this year. As the facility continues to ramp up production, it is expected that the Auburn facility will contribute to every commercial jet engine family produced by GE Aviation.
GE Aviation said it selected Auburn in large part because of its access to a skilled workforce and its proximity to Alabama's university system. GE partnered with Alabama Industrial Development Training to develop pre-employment training programs. Southern Union State Community College does the machining portion of the pre-employment training. To develop a pipeline of young talent, GE has worked with Auburn University and Tuskegee University to create internship and co-op opportunities for students.
The city of Auburn also extended tax incentives that will assist the company in purchasing equipment.
"GE Aviation is thrilled to locate an advanced manufacturing operation in Auburn," said David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation. "The facility will be involved in highly sophisticated manufacturing processes. We are very grateful to the Alabama leadership in supporting GE on this important economic development project."
"The opening of this facility will lead to more good jobs for the people of Alabama," Gov. Robert Bentley said. "Alabama has the best workforce you can find, and our role in the aviation industry continues to grow. I appreciate the investment GE Aviation is making in Alabama. On the state and local levels, we are committed to helping GE Aviation succeed here in Auburn."
"We couldn’t be more excited as GE Aviation opens their doors, providing skilled jobs to our community and a tremendous investment in Auburn and Alabama," said Auburn Mayor Bill Ham. "I look forward to a longstanding relationship with GE Aviation, and I'm excited that jet engines throughout the world will have parts that are made in Auburn."
The new Alabama facility underscores the unprecedented growth of GE Aviation, where production rates are expected to grow from 3,600 commercial and military engine deliveries in 2013 to more than 3,800 deliveries in 2014, the company said. Compared to the past five years, GE's investment across its more than 50 operations in the U.S. will more than double, including a new manufacturing operation in neighboring Mississippi. GE Aviation employs approximately 17,000 workers in manufacturing in the U.S.
Project Announcements
AESC Expands Florence, South Carolina, Operations
03/28/2024
Alticor Expands Ada Township, Michigan, Operations
03/27/2024
Eastman Plans Longview, Texas, Production Operations
03/27/2024
DHL Supply Chain-Vantage Data Centers NV11 Plan Nevada Operations
03/26/2024
Big Jet Expands Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Operations
03/26/2024
Landmark Ceramics UST Expands Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee, Operations
03/25/2024
Most Read
-
2023's Leading Metro Locations: Hotspots of Economic Growth
Q4 2023
-
2023 Top States for Doing Business Meet the Needs of Site Selectors
Q3 2023
-
The Logistics Analysis That Drives Industrial Site Selection
Q4 2023
-
Manufacturing Momentum Is Building
Q1 2024
-
Technology’s Influence on Workforce Development
Workforce Q4 2023
-
38th Annual Corporate Survey: Are Unrealized Predictions of an Economic Slump Leading Small to Mid-Size Companies to Put Off Expansion Plans?
Q1 2024
-
37th Annual Corporate Survey: Economic Pressures Exerting Greatest Effect on Decision-Makers
Q1 2023