Rolls-Royce ‘shovel-ready’ on Prince George plant

[Blue_Tires]

Rolls-Royce PLC expects to start construction in late September or early October on the first phase of its planned aircraft-engine components plant in Prince George County, a company executive said yesterday.

"We are shovel-ready," said Thomas Loehr, an executive vice president with Rolls-Royce North America.

"We have cleared 60 acres," he said. "This is intended to provide the space we need to accommodate the first three facilities that we have planned for the site."

Loehr spoke yesterday at a meeting hosted by John Tyler Community College on manufacturing work-force development in the region.

The planned start of construction would come nearly two years after Rolls-Royce, a British company with its North American headquarters in Reston, announced that it would invest $100 million to build an aerospace manufacturing campus on the 1,000-acre Crosspointe Centre development in Prince George.

At the time of the announcement in November 2007, the company said it was aiming for a late 2009 opening of the first phase of the project.

Since then, Rolls-Royce and other aircraft-engine suppliers have been affected by the recession and delays in production of two airliners, the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/business/local/article/B-MANU06_20090805-210604/284279/

wow...actually making things in THIS country...what a novel idea!

[Nay]

1. I sure hope they're hiring local union electricians -- my kid will be out

of a job by then, along with a lot of other skilled tradesppl.

[Blue_Tires]

2. IBEW?

hope he lands on his feet..