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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Van Horn Aviation Announces Expansion of Its Rotor Blade Manufacturing Operations in Tempe, AZ

06/09/2011
Helicopter rotor blade manufacturer Van Horn Aviation (VHA) announces it soon will move its operations into a recently purchased facility in Tempe, AZ. Already based in that city, the company will nearly quadruple its amount of manufacturing and office space.

About 20 new jobs are expected to be created in the next three years. Currently the firm employs about eight people.

The news comes on the heels of recently announced agreements with two major helicopter manufacturers that will significantly increase the demand and manufacturing requirements for VHA's composite rotor blades.

Although the company received no incentives for this project, said a local economic development official, the City of Tempe did provide assistance with planning and code review.

Unlike the old facility, the new space will allow VHA to now run simultaneous tail and main rotor blade production lines while continuously developing new products. "We currently produce about 80 percent of our parts and conduct 100 percent of manufacturing in-house for two lines of tail rotor blades," said VHA President James R. Van Horn. "Manufacturing space is tight in our present facility, and we must be established in the new building before we start main rotor blade production next year."

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