Assembly of the composite fuselage for the HondaJet is scheduled to begin at the Orangeburg site in mid-2012.
GKN Aerospace was recently awarded the production contract for the HondaJet. The development work for the HondaJet is currently performed at the company’s Alabama facility.
GKN says that design and equipping of the new 150 000 ft2 plant will begin shortly. Recruitment of staff will begin next year. GKN Aerospace expects over 75 personnel to be working in the new facility within the first year of production. This figure could rise to 300 within the next five years.
"This facility is at the heart of the growth of our business in the US," reports Kevin Cummings, President and CEO, Aerostructures North America, GKN Aerospace. "The contract on the pioneering HondaJet represents a new product line, and a customer relationship of which we are particularly proud. This move brings the vital assembly activity close to Honda’s own plant."
"Over the longer term we expect the new site to serve a range of aerospace customers on assembly tasks across civil and military aviation," he adds.
