GKN Aerospace and suppliers will invest USD$12 million in Chihuahua

As part of the trade mission headed by the Governor of Chihuahua Maru Campos at the Farnborough International Airshow, in England, an investment agreement was reported in the state by a Tier 1 aerospace company. GNK Aerospace Group will invest more than USD$10 million that will generate 100 new jobs, added to the investment of USD$2 million from its supplier, Metal Finishing Co. (MFCO), strengthening the Aerospace Cluster of the state. The expansion of GKN Aerospace Group will incorporate three projects with high-tech equipment and processes, which will allow to supply leading clients in the manufacture of executive aircraft. The investment contemplates the transfer of a production line that is currently in Europe, to produce composite materials; the manufacture of elevators for aircraft, which is a line transferred from Asia; and the manufacture of fuselages for executive jets, which will be transferred from an operation in South Carolina. These projects mean the generation of more than 100 new direct well-paid jobs in the city of Chihuahua, which will be trained by personnel from Europe and the United States; as well as the construction of a new industrial warehouse of 7,400 square meters to establish these new assembly lines. In addition to the investment, these projects will have an impact on GKN's supply chain in Chihuahua, as it will in turn boost the economic growth of suppliers such as MFCO, which specializes in providing surface treatment services for the aerospace industry. Accompanying the governor, the president of the Mexican Federation of the Aerospace Industry (FEMIA) and plant manager of Metal Finishing Co., René Espinosa Terrazas, highlighted the investment of USD$2 million in the company, which is destined directly to special processes for machined steel parts and for ultrasonic inspection technology for composite materials and carbon fiber. Likewise, he pointed out that as part of this investment, the creation of around 35 new highly certified jobs will be achieved, that is, with an important economic remuneration. Likewise, the expansion of 6,000 square meters of this plant, which is currently located in the Chihuahua Industrial Complex, was reported. Governor Maru Campos stressed that these actions are possible thanks to the fact that Chihuahuans have stood out for their skills and training in the aerospace industry, since they are characteristics that are found in few places, which allows attracting these investments to the state. Source: Cluster industrial https://www.clusterindustrial.com.mx/noticia/5081/gkn-aerospace-y-proveedores-invertiran-12-mdd-en-chihuahua