Out of a total investment of $650 million, nearly $450 million will be invested in 22 GE Aerospace facilities across 14 states, and $100 million will go to U.S.-based supplier partners.
EVENDALE, Ohio—GE Aerospace is planning to invest $650 million in its manufacturing facilities and supply chain this year to increase production and strengthen quality, the company said in a release on its website.
The 2024 investment plan calls for nearly $450 million to go toward new machines, inspection equipment, building upgrades, and new test cells and safety enhancements at 22 GE Aerospace facilities across 14 states. An additional $100 million will go to supplier partners based in the United States, according to the release.
“As GE Aerospace prepares to become a standalone company this spring, we are making significant investments in the future of flight and in the dozens of communities and supplier partners helping us build it,” said GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., who is also CEO of GE Aerospace, in a statement. “These investments are part of the next chapter for GE Aerospace, supporting cutting-edge equipment and safety enhancements that will help us meet our customers’ growing needs.”
Among the investments, $54 million will go to GE Aerospace’s Auburn, Alabama, site for additional additive manufacturing (3D printing) machines. The goal is to increase the production of military rotorcraft engine components, along with narrow and widebody commercial aircraft engines. Additive manufacturing is seen as a critical technology that enables greater performance and fuel efficiency while reducing part weight and part count, the company said.
GE Aerospace will also direct $30 million to its Lynn, Massachusetts, site for investment in engine assembly and testing that supports the production of U.S. and allied military helicopter and fighter jet engines. Additional investments will be used for facility maintenance and upkeep, and will build on investments made in 2023, according to GE.
To meet growing demand, the investments will also include $46 million to four North Carolina facilities that produce parts and assemble engines for either narrowbody or widebody commercial engines. to meet growing demand. The Asheville site will receive $11 million for high-precision machines used to produce critical components; the Durham facility, more than $7 million for tooling and equipment to increase the assembly capacity of engines.
The West Jefferson, North Carolina facility is scheduled to receive nearly $5 million for quality inspection equipment and high-tech machinery. The Wilmington site will invest some $22 million for machines and specialized tooling to increase capacity.
In addition, $107 million is earmarked for facilities in the greater Cincinnati region. Additional additive manufacturing machines, new tooling and equipment, and modernization and upgrades to test cells will allow the company to increase production capacity for engines used in commercial aircraft and in U.S. and allied military helicopter and fighter jets, the release said.
The $100 million will strengthen the company’s U.S. supply chain, helping suppliers build and maintain capacity and capabilities needed for sustained growth. Suppliers provide materials (castings and forgings) and some early-stage parts for commercial and military engines, the company said.
GE Aerospace said it continues to see strong demand from its military and commercial customers for new engines and to maximize the availability of engines in operation. The 2024 investment plan is said to expand the company’s capacity to continue ramping LEAP engine production, prepare for production of the GE9X, and to continue supporting the U.S. military and its allies around the world.
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