GULFSTREAM TO EXPAND WESTFIELD SITE
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced that it will expand its service center at the Barnes Regional Airport in Westfield, Mass. The company will invest approximately $20 million to build a 100,000-square-foot maintenance facility adjacent to the existing 85,000-square-foot one. The growth is expected to result in 100 additional Gulfstream jobs, a nearly 80 percent increase over the size of Gulfstream’s Westfield workforce.
“In the second quarter, we had the largest number of orders for new aircraft since the economic downturn began,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream Product Support. “At the same time, flying hours have increased, resulting in record-setting service demand. This expansion is part of our long-range plan to ensure our service network remains well-positioned to serve our customers and our growing installed fleet, especially in the heavily traveled Northeast corridor.”
Gulfstream announced the expansion in the presence of its employees as well as state and local dignitaries, including Gov. Deval Patrick.
“Massachusetts is leading the nation in economic recovery, thanks to companies like Gulfstream that are expanding right here in the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Patrick. “Because of our investments in innovation, education and infrastructure, Massachusetts is a great place for business, and I thank Gulfstream for adding these 100 new jobs and the economic benefits that will follow.”
The current Westfield facility has been part of the Gulfstream product support network since August 1998, when Gulfstream acquired K-C Aviation from Kimberly-Clark Corp. The Westfield location offers a wide range of services - from aircraft-on-ground support to extensive hourly and calendar-driven airframe inspections, avionics installations and interior refurbishment upgrades. The facility is certified on large- and mid-cabin Gulfstream aircraft, as well as Hawker, Falcon and Challenger aircraft.
“We are committed to the areas where our employees live and work,” Burns said. “And we certainly appreciate the support of Governor Patrick and his team and that of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, as well as the efforts of the Barnes Regional Airport Commission, the Westfield City Council, the Massachusetts Housing & Economic Development Council and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in supporting this expansion.”
Gulfstream is also expanding its Savannah facilities through a $500-million, seven-year plan that is expected to result in 1,000 additional Gulfstream jobs, an increase of more than 15 percent.
