AIRBUS’ ALABAMA ENGINEERING CENTER RECEIVES FINAL APPROVAL; CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN IN JANUARY
BUILDING TEAM, SITE DIRECTOR NAMED HIRING FOR ENGINEER POSITIONS UNDERWAY
For Immediate Release
Contact: Kristi Tucker 703-834-3456
MOBILE, ALA. – Alabama officials today approved construction of Airbus North America’s engineering center in Mobile, Ala. Construction of Airbus’ newest facility in the United States is set to begin in January 2006. The facility, which is scheduled to open in January 2007, will be responsible initially for assignments related to Airbus’ new A350 aircraft, including the design of interiors such as ceiling panels, sidewall panels, overhead stowage bins, interior furnishings, seats, crew rest compartments, lavatories and galleys.
“We’re pleased to be bringing more skilled, high-quality jobs and growth to the U.S. and Alabama economies,” said Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus North America Holdings. “Mobile is a growing, high-tech community, and the enthusiasm of the region in welcoming us has been most impressive.”
At present, the center is planned for at least 150 engineers. Airbus North America Engineering is currently accepting resumes from engineers with five to fifteen years of experience in aircraft interiors design, cargo and cabin customization to fill the positions. Resumes should be sent to Mobile.HR@airbus.comfor consideration.
The engineering center is the first step in a potentially larger-scale industrial site to be built should the Northrop Grumman KC-30 team, of which EADS is a principal subcontractor, receive an order to modernize the U.S. Air Force's aerial refueling tanker fleet.
ALABAMA CONTRACTORS CHOSEN TO BUILD CENTER
Alabama-based Hoar Construction has been selected to build Airbus North America’s new engineering center in Mobile. Based in Birmingham, Ala.; Hoar Construction has been in continuous operation as a general contractor since 1940, with proven experience building college and university facilities, churches, municipal buildings, schools, malls, strip centers, department stores, warehouse and industrial sites, and waste treatment facilities.
Thompson Engineering from Mobile, Ala., will be responsible for construction engineering of the site. Established in 1953, Thompson Engineering is an employee-owned engineering design, environmental, land planning, construction inspection and materials testing firm.
Perkins & Will, an architectural firm based in Washington, D.C., will design the engineering center.
DAVID TRENT NAMED SITE DIRECTOR
This week, Airbus North America Engineering named David Trent as the engineering center’s site director.
Trent brings more than 13 years of experience in aircraft interior design, engineering and leadership to Airbus. He joins the company from Hiller, Inc., a manufacturer of aircraft interior products for the business aircraft market. He also brings experience from leadership positions he held at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Bombardier, Inc.; LearJet, Inc.; and Dowty Aerospace.
Trent has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master of Business Administration from California State University.
He will report to Bill Greer, Airbus North America’s Vice President of Engineering.
ABOUT AIRBUS NORTH AMERICA
There are four established hubs of Airbus North America (ANA) activity. ANA and Airbus Customer Services headquarters are located in the Washington D.C. suburb of Herndon, Va. The facility employs nearly 150 people in sales, marketing, communications and customer service for the benefit of Airbus customers in the United States and Canada.
ANA’s Spares Center, based in Ashburn, Va., employs some 70 people in a round-the-clock warehouse, shipping aircraft parts, tools and sections to customers in the Americas.
The southernmost Airbus facility in North America is the $50 million Airbus Training Center in Miami, Fla., where 100 team members are dedicated to training more than 3,000 air crew and maintenance personnel each year.
ANA Engineering, in Wichita, Kan., hosts some 200 engineers and staff working on the A380 and other Airbus long-range programs, including the A340 and A350.
Airbus is a joint EADS company with BAE Systems.
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