By Babette Stolk/VTDigger
The aircraft engine manufacturer GE Aerospace announced Tuesday, March 12, that it plans to invest $24.9 million in its Rutland facility, which specializes in military and commercial hardware.
The funding will go to new equipment, machines and tooling to support the company’s production of aircraft, military and fighter jet engines, according to Patricia Minichiello, a spokesperson for the Rutland site.
“These investments expand Rutland’s capacity to produce critical parts used on nearly every military or commercial engine,” Juan Milian, the plant leader for GE Aerospace Rutland, said in a written statement, adding that the money would help the company “build a strong future in the state.”
The investment is part of a $650 million plan to boost production capacity nationwide as GE Aerospace’s parent company, General Electric, completes a lengthy restructuring that will result in three separate entities focused on aviation, health care and energy.
“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 H. Lawrence Culp Jr., chairman and CEO of General Electric and CEO of GE Aerospace, in a press release.
According to the company’s website, more than 1,200 employees work on two sites about four miles apart in Rutland, making it the second-largest private employer in the area, according to Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR).
There are currently 21 job openings.
In February, GE Aerospace reached an agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Labor to resolve allegations that its Rutland facility discriminated against women in the hiring process, according to the dept.
The company is set to pay $443,000 in back wages to 116 unsuccessful job applicants affected between the summer of 2018 and the beginning of 2020. It also agreed to extend 14 opportunities to female applicants at the Rutland facility, the release said.
Other large aerospace companies also have plants in Vermont, such as Collins Aerospace in Vergennes. According to ThinkVermont, an initiative by the Vermont Dept. of Economic Development, aerospace makes up 2.2% of Vermont’s gross domestic product.
Courtesy of GE Aerospace Rutland
The GE Aerospace Rutland facility on Windcrest Road in North Clarendon.
