To scale production activities across its US-based manufacturing facilities, GE Aerospace will invest over $650 million this spring.
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.
“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 GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. “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.”
Some of the investments include:
- $54 million to Auburn, Ala.,
site for additional additive (3D printing) machines and tooling to increase the production of military rotorcraft engine components, along with narrow and widebody commercial aircraft engines.
Additive manufacturing is a critical technology that allows for greater performance and fuel efficiency while reducing weight and part count. - $30 million to Lynn, Mass.,
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 build on investments made in 2023. - $46 million to four North Carolina facilities
that produce parts and assemble engines for either narrowbody or widebody commercial engines to meet growing demand.
Asheville will receive $11 million for high-precision machines used to produce critical components;
Durham will receive more than $7 million for tooling and equipment to increase the assembly capacity of engines;
West Jefferson will receive almost $5 million for quality inspection equipment and high-tech machinery; and
Wilmington will invest $22 million for machines and specialized tooling to increase capacity. - $107 million to 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 of engines used in commercial aircraft and in U.S. and allied military helicopter and fighter jets.
Many of these investments are being made as the result of employees and leaders coming together to find ways to improve safety, quality, delivery and costs, through our lean operating model, FLIGHT DECK.
In addition to the investments announced today, GE Aerospace is hiring more than 1,000 employees for open external positions at its U.S. factories.
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