Facility Will Be Built At IWA

Embraer broke ground Monday for a new executive jets service center at Williams Gateway Airport, in Mesa, AZ. The facility is scheduled for completion in mid-2008 and will be one of three locations in the US dedicated to full-service care for the company’s Phenom 100, Phenom 300 and Legacy 600 jets.

“Embraer is proud to establish its presence in the State of Arizona, in demonstration of its long-term commitment to satisfying the executive jet customers, as well as to bringing new jobs to the local community,” said Edson Carlos Mallaco, Embraer’s Senior Vice President, Aviation Services. “With this new investment, our goal is to develop a highly competitive infrastructure that will exceed the expectations of the business jet market by offering convenient and efficient support and services.”

Partners in the Embraer project include the State of Arizona, the Williams Gateway Airport Authority (WGAA), and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC).

“As the Phoenix Metropolitan area continues to grow, international companies are showing a major interest in having a presence throughout the East Valley,” said Steve Berman, Chairman of the WGAA Board of Directors and Mayor of neighboring Gilbert, Arizona. “Embraer is a globally recognized leader in aerospace and we’re very proud that the Company will now be a part of the Williams Gateway community.”

“Embraer’s new service center is the first of many international companies recognizing that Williams Gateway Airport and Greater Phoenix are ideal locations for global business expansion,” said Barry Broome, President and CEO of GPEC. “We welcome Embraer, a leader in the aviation industry, and an example of the type of foreign direct investment we seek through our Arizona Global Network initiative.”

The 45,000-square-foot Embraer facility will consist of a hangar, workshops and office space, for an estimated investment of US$ 8 million. Embraer’s commitment to the community is to create approximately 60 jobs over the next five years.

The establishment of the Executive Jets service center network owned and operated by Embraer in the US will include locations at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, and Bradley International Airport, in Windsor Locks, CT.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for Florida and Connecticut will take place later this summer. The investment for all three new facilities will total approximately US$ 40 million.

Embraer states each service center facility will be capable of providing full-service aircraft care, including routine inspection, scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, and airframe, engine, avionics, and other systems repairs, 24/7 assistance, Aircraft On Ground (AOG) rescue/mobile teams, and an inventory of expendable and repairable parts. Services may also include painting and interior refurbishments.

FMI: www.embraer.com, www.flywga.org