Where There's a Law, There's a Way
Embraer, the world's fourth-largest aircraft
manufacturer, intends to open an aircraft production facility in
Jacksonville (FL), for the U.S. defense and homeland security
markets. This production facility, to be located at Cecil Commerce
Center, will fully-qualify the company as a compliant U.S.
government supplier for defense and homeland security programs.
"We believe this initiative, aimed at the U.S. defense and
homeland security markets, will lead to a multi-year expansion of
Embraer capabilities in the United States on defense-related
operations," said Mauricio Botelho, Embraer President and Chief
Executive Officer. "Embraer first established its U.S. presence in
1979 with a sales and product support facility in Fort Lauderdale.
In the past years, besides the significant expansion of that
facility, we added an engineering office in Palm Beach Gardens, and
a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Nashville (TN).
"Embraer has been actively pursuing U.S. defense and homeland
security market opportunities that have requirements for advanced,
reliable and affordable Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (ISR) systems such as those on our current products
ordered by Brazil, Mexico and Greece," Botelho said.
"We are very pleased that Embraer has selected Jacksonville as a
strategic location from which to successfully compete in the U.S.
defense market," said Florida Governor Jeb Bush. "Florida is host
to many of the world's top aerospace and defense companies, and of
our ability to play a vital role in maintaining the security of our
nation is a source of great pride for us."
Embraer selected Jacksonville from a short list of
attractive cities because it best satisfied the company's checklist
of requirements primarily focused on facilities and logistics, but
also included factors such as skilled labor and cost of living.
"We are very excited about Embraer's announcement," said Jerry
Mallot, Executive Vice President of the Jacksonville Regional
Chamber of Commerce. "The selection of Jacksonville for its
production facility is testament to the quality of Cecil Commerce
Center as a major aviation location."
The "Cecil Commerce Center" is the former Cecil Field Naval Air
Station, an active military base until its closure in 1999. The
17,200-acre site, which includes four aircraft runways, is now
being redeveloped for civilian use. The company will release
details on the scope and timing of the project at a later date.
The U.S. market is the largest for Embraer, accounting for some
67 percent of its sales for commercial and business aircraft. Of
1,519 aircraft delivered worldwide, more than 780 aircraft have
been delivered in the U.S. since the company was founded in 1969.
These deliveries not only make Embraer one of Brazil's leading
exporters, but a leading importer of components as well, with the
major portion of this trade coming from U.S. suppliers. The Company
(as of March 31, 2003) has a total workforce of 12,407 people.
Embraer was Brazil's largest exporter from 1999 to 2001, and second
largest in 2002.
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