Jan. 10--Aviation supplier Nordam is consolidating and moving its Wichita operations to Tulsa, where it's based, because of the decline in the business jet market, the company said Friday.
Its site, located at 9175 E. 35th Street North, employs about 75 people in the 120,000 square-foot facility.
The division primarily manufactures cabinets and related accessories for business jet customers.
"The retrenchment in the light to medium business jet market in the past three years affected our ability to sustain our Wichita cabinetry operation at a level where we could justify a stand-alone facility to support the business," Meredith Siegfried, Nordam's chief executive officer, said in a statement. "The steady decline in this market segment over the past five years prompted us to reevaluate our Wichita facilities and develop options to improve the productivity of Nordam operations.
It was a difficult decision, she said.
The change is no reflection on Wichita or its quality or caliber of work, Phil Marshall, vice president and general manager of Nordam's Interiors and Structures division, said in a statement.
"To the contrary, our Wichita stakeholders are excellent," Marshall said. "Wichita is an exceptional community, and we appreciate the local support we received over the years."
The company moved into the site in 2007 from 1600 E. Murdock. It became part of Nordam in 2002.
It announced a 50,000-square-foot expansion to its aircraft interior and structures division in Tulsa in the fall.
Besides manufacturing aircraft components, Nordam also specializes in maintenance and repair of composite aircraft structures.
Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @mmcmillin.
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