Alabama connections on display at 2017 Paris Air Show
The 2017 Paris Air Show is ground zero for the aerospace industry, a spectacle whose amazing aircraft demonstration flights are eclipsed by the billions of dollars in new deals announced and the behind-the-scenes negotiations that lead to future projects. This year was no different. Boeing and Airbus – global rivals that both have a major presence in Alabama – announced massive aircraft orders. Boeing, in particular, used the air show as a platform to announce more than $30 billion in new orders. In addition, there are plenty of Alabama connections on display at the industry trade event, reflecting the state’s growing stature in the global aerospace business. Airbus, for instance, showed off its A321neo aircraft, a model that will be added to the production lineup at its Mobile manufacturing center. And Raytheon’s exhibition hall displayed SM-3 and SM-6 missiles, which are produced in Huntsville. The fuel-efficient LEAP engine, produced by a partnership that includes GE Aviation, was spotted on Boeing and Airbus aircraft. A 3-D printed fuel nozzle made by GE Aviation in Auburn is an important feature of the engine. In addition, global aerospace and defense company Leonardo displayed its T-100 trainer jet that will be built in Tuskegee if the company wins a U.S. Air Force competition for a next-generation trainer. Massive draw During the Paris Air Show’s three-day trade show phase, an estimated 150,000 visitors were expected. New French president Emmanuel Macron was among them. He visited the European Space Agency Center, where he spoke with astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who has just spent almost 200 days at the International Space Station. As always, the demonstration flights wowed the crowds at Le Bourget. Highlights included flights by the new U.S. F35 fighter jet, the Boeing 737 MAX 9 and Airbus A350-100S, A400M and A380 aircraft. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Alabama’s Arista Aviation announces first commercial sale at Paris Air Show
Arista Aviation Services CEO Rich Enderle announced today at the Paris Air Show that his Enterprise-based company has signed a deal to sell four modified UH-60A helicopters to the International Defense and Aerospace Group LLC (IDAG). Gov. Kay Ivey joined Enderle at the Made in Alabama booth at the air show to mark the deal that enhances Arista’s growth prospects by launching a business line centered on commercial sales. “I have visited Arista Aviation on several occasions, and I’ve been very impressed with the way the company has grown and added jobs over a short period of time,” Ivey said. “It’s a shining example of an Alabama company finding success, and I believe this new chapter in its operation will bring even more of it,” she said. Arista CEO Rich Enderle joins Gov. Kay Ivey and Wiregrass EDA director Jonathan Tullos at the Made in Alabama booth at the Paris Air Show. (Made in Alabama) Arista has primarily focused on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities since it launched operations in Enterprise in 2014. The company operates from a 65,000-square-foot hangar and has 150 employees. The transaction with IDAG represents the first commercial sale of modified Black Hawk helicopters for Arista. “With the growth in commercial sales and the growth in the government contracts we’re pursuing right now, I anticipate we’ll expand our footprint in Enterprise, nearly doubling the hangar facility and adding another 50 to 100 jobs,” Enderle said. ‘Significant impact’ As an FFA-certified Part 145 Repair Station, Arista performs maintenance and overhaul on a large fleet of rotary wing aircraft, including the UH-60 Black Hawk and the UH-1 Huey, for the U.S. government. The full-scope work includes modifications and upgrades, repairs and paint, as well as test flights. Arista CEO Rich Enderle, left, talks with Gov. Kay Ivey and Greg Canfield, secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce. (Made in Alabama) The aircraft in the IDAG transaction were acquired by Arista through the Army’s BEST divestiture program. The aircraft, which carry a Restricted Category Type Certificate, can be used both in the U.S. and in approved foreign countries for multiple purposes including firefighting, training, utility work or search and rescue. “Since Arista came to Enterprise in 2014, it has really had a significant impact on the region, and the company’s diversification is a way to create jobs and increase stability in the operation,” said Jonathan Tullos, executive director of the Wiregrass Economic Development Authority. “We look forward to seeing Arista continue to grow, and we think the future is bright.” This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Governor talks Alabama aerospace growth at Paris Air Show
Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama team in France for the Paris Air Show connected with aerospace industry leaders at an exclusive gathering sponsored by a partnership that promotes the Gulf Coast aerospace cluster for long-term growth. The Aerospace Alliance’s event in Paris brought together delegations from Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana with invited guests from aerospace companies and government agencies on the eve of the industry’s premier trade show. Ivey is leading an Alabama delegation at the Paris Air Show that includes business development specialists, government officials, university representatives and others. Gov. Kay Ivey speaks with Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller at the Aerospace Alliance event in Paris. (Made in Alabama) The Aerospace Alliance cruise on the River Seine gave Ivey her first chance on the Paris Air Show mission to talk business with high-level executives in the field and share her commitment to supporting aerospace industry growth in Alabama. Made in Alabama caught up with Ivey to capture her thoughts on what she wants the team to accomplish at the 52nd installment of the Paris Air Show, which started Monday at Le Bourget Airport. Made in Alabama: Why is it important for Alabama to be at the Paris Air Show? Gov. Kay Ivey: The aerospace industry in Alabama is thriving – and we want to see even more growth in this vital sector. At the Paris Air Show, we’ll get a chance to talk with many industry decision-makers in private meetings, telling them Alabama is open for business. It’s a perfect opportunity to tell them about our advantages. To make sure Alabama remains a leader in aerospace, we must be strategic and work on building the relationships that will bring more jobs and investment to the state. The Paris Air Show is the best place in the world to do that. MIA: What are your goals for the Paris Air Show mission? Ivey: The primary mission of Alabama’s economic development team at the Paris Air Show is to promote the state to aerospace companies from around the globe. I want to personally share with the leaders of these companies my commitment to make Alabama the ideal location for them. Recruiting companies like Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin and GE Aviation has made Alabama a force in the aerospace industry. In Paris, we’ll be working hard to position Alabama for a new wave of growth. Aerospace is lifting off in Alabama, and we have to make sure it continues climbing. Arista Aviation CEO Rich Enderle talks with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey at the Paris Air Show. (Made in Alabama) MIA: What specific messages will you convey at the Paris Air Show? Ivey: That’s easy. Alabama has a rich history in aerospace, going back to the Wright Brothers, who set up a flight school in Montgomery more than a century ago. Rocket scientists and engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville made the moon landing possible. We have a great heritage. Today, Alabama has everything an aerospace company needs to succeed. We have the skilled workforce and top-rated training programs. We have a pro-business environment and a solid transportation infrastructure. For aerospace companies, we really have it all. MIA: Why do you want to see the aerospace sector grow in Alabama? Ivey: Aerospace in Alabama is all about high-level jobs, thriving opportunities, advanced technology and dynamic innovation. Growth in this industry will continue to propel Alabama forward, and is a sign to the world that Alabama is open and ready for businesses to invest in our state. As the former chair of the Aerospace States Association, I know how critically important this sector is across the nation. Alabama is home to 400 aerospace companies from 30 different countries. More than 83,000 Alabamians are employed in aerospace and defense. I want to see us build on the solid base of this industry. The growth prospects are good. We just need to keep working to bring home that growth – and the jobs that come with it. This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
Oui oui: Kay Ivey to visit Paris Air Show on French trade mission
Gov. Kay Ivey will visit France this week on a trade mission to highlight Alabama companies and (hopefully) bring more business to the state. Ivey will attend the Paris Air Show — the world’s oldest and largest aerospace event, which begins Monday — Ivey will meet with global businesses, joined by delegations from across Alabama. As the Alabama Political Reporter notes, meetings with delegations will be a combination of one-on-one and group settings. “Recruiting new businesses to Alabama and encouraging the ones we already have to expand requires the building of meaningful relationships,” said Ivey press secretary Eileen Jones. Attracting over 2,000 exhibitors from across the globe, the Paris Air Show will feature some Alabama and other U.S. companies. “Governor Ivey will use her time in Paris to build a rapport with aerospace industry leaders so as to build a comfortable, working relationship with them,” Jones added. “These relationships have proven, in the past, to be key to landing important economic development projects in Alabama.” Traveling with the governor will be Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield and Commerce Department Staff. “Recruiting industry to our state takes great amounts of time and effort; a business doesn’t decide overnight to relocate to Alabama,” Jones told the Political Reporter. One key Alabama project that came from the Paris Air Show was General Electric Co.’s Aviation additive manufacturing facility in Auburn, which started with talks that began at the 2013 event. Ivey leaves Friday and returns Wednesday.
Airbus supplier adding second painting facility in Mobile
The northern Gulf Coast’s burgeoning aerospace sector grew a bit more Tuesday when a German company that paints aircraft said it would expand its operations near the Airbus plant under construction in Mobile. Maas Aviation will construct a $39 million, twin-bay hangar for painting aircraft at the Mobile Aeroplex site at Brookley, the Mobile Airport Authority said. The project is expected to create 80 jobs. The new facility will be used to service the market for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhauls in the Americas. Construction is expected to begin this fall and take about one year. The company has another facility for painting aircraft that will be assembled at the Airbus plant in Mobile. Maas won that contract in April 2014. Roger Wehner, the authority’s executive director, said he has been impressed by the company so far. “The design process has included many embedded quality and efficiency elements which we believe contributes to their ability to compete on quality and speed, providing considerable value to operators,” Wehner said in a written statement. The new project was announced in conjunction with the Paris Air Show in France. A French Airbus supplier, insulation fabricator Hutchinson Corp., announced plans Monday to locate in Mobile. Airbus began construction in 2013 in Mobile on its first assembly plant in the United States. The factory will produce A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. Assembly is expected to begin this year, with delivery of the first aircraft constructed in Mobile scheduled for next year. The $600 million plant is expected to employ as many as 1,000 people once production begins. More than 90 aerospace companies are currently operating on the coast in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, according to Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, an industry website operated by specialty publisher and consultant David Tortorano. North of the coast, central Alabama also is trying to attract work linked to Airbus. The city of Birmingham, Airbus, and a regional chamber of commerce, the Birmingham Business Alliance, plan to hold a conference this fall for Airbus suppliers. “We hope to create opportunities for Birmingham businesses and give the opportunity for the city to develop a closer relationship with Airbus,” Birmingham Mayor William Bell said in a statement from the air show in Paris. “This is a very exciting opportunity and an opportunity to create jobs in our city.”
