GE Aerospace to invest $11M in Terre Haute, Lafayette plants
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GE Aerospace on Tuesday announced plans to invest $650 million in its manufacturing facilities and supply chain operations throughout the country. The investment includes a total of nearly $11 million for the company’s plants in Terre Haute and Lafayette.
The Terre Haute facility is slated to receive $5 million for new machines and additional specialized tooling, as well as building and equipment upgrades for the production of narrowbody and widebody aircraft engines.
The plant produces critical components for a variety of jet engines, including the GE9X engine, which the company bills as the most powerful commercial jet engine in the world.
“These investments give our team the ability to increase production of engine parts, many for our most advanced jet engines, and the investments ensure a strong future for GE Aerospace as we become an independent company,” Gerald Beuvelet, site leader for GE Aerospace Terre Haute, said in a statement to Inside INdiana Business.
The Lafayette plant is slated to receive $5.9 million for additional equipment and new tooling to increase the assembly of engines for narrowbody and regional aircraft, particularly the LEAP engines, which are used to power the Boeing 737 Max and Airbus A320neo aircraft.
“Customers are eager to receive the engines we assemble in Lafayette,” said Jordan Wysong, site leader for GE Aerospace Lafayette. “These investments will solidify our capacity to meet customer demand while improving safety and quality.”
Tuesday’s announcement came just over one year after GE announced $450 million in investments in its facilities, including $7 million for the Lafayette plant.
The $100 million, 300,000-square-foot Lafayette Engine Facility opened in 2015 about 10 miles from the Purdue University campus.
Part of the $650 million investment includes $100 million to support supplier partners across the country. Among them is a partner based in La Porte, though additional details were not provided.
“This is an investment in the future of manufacturing, ensuring we can continue producing high-quality, cutting-edge engines and services while meeting customer demand,” Mike Kauffman, GE Aerospace supply chain vice president, said in a news release.
GE Aerospace did not specify if any jobs would be created as a result of the investment, but noted it is currently hiring for more than 1,000 open positions at facilities across its U.S. footprint.
The company did not immediately return requests for more information from Inside INdiana Business.