Aerospace Leaders Meet at Vought

STUART, FLA., FEB. 17, 2010  – Vought Aircraft Industries, a leading manufacturer of airframe structures, hosted about  25 Martin County aerospace business leaders yesterday for a plant tour and networking session.

The events were coordinated by the Business Development Board of Martin County (BDBMC) and started at Turbo Combustor Technologies, where Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) discussed business development efforts in the area. The business leaders then traveled to Vought for the plant tour and a one-hour networking session.

 “We enjoy meeting with local business leaders and exchanging ideas about strengthening our community,” said Paul Sandhu, Vought’s general manager in Stuart. “The BDBMC has done an excellent job of promoting economic growth in Martin County and has helped with our own expansion efforts. Their ongoing support is appreciated, and events such as these help build on past successes.”

Vought’s Stuart operation opened in 1950 as a Grumman company operation adjacent to Witham Field. Workers at the site manufacture a variety of airframe components for many Boeing commercial airplanes, including the wing center section and doors for the 767; inboard flaps for the 777; doors and the lower rudder for the 747-8. They also build engine nacelles and cowl doors for Gulfstream and Hawker Beechcraft business jets.

Vought won new work with Boeing last year, and construction is underway to expand the Stuart site for the additional production work. The new statements of work include inboard flaps for the 737; and outboard flaps and ailerons for the 777. Vought anticipates the 8,000 square-foot expansion project to be completed by the second quarter of 2010.

About Vought

Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (www.voughtaircraft.com)is one of the world's largest independent suppliers of aerostructures. Headquartered in Dallas, the company designs and manufactures major airframe structures such as wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft. Vought has annual sales of approximately $1.8 billion and about 6,000 employees in eight U.S. locations.

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