Plans $65 Million Investment In Columbus, GA Facility

Pratt & Whitney is making a $65 million investment in its engine overhaul facility in Columbus, Georgia, to perform maintenance on PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engines.

"As the GTF engine continues to enter into service, it is critical that we have a strong maintenance, repair and overhaul network in place to support these engines," said Joe Sylvestro, vice president, Aftermarket Operations, Pratt & Whitney. "The Columbus Engine Center draws on decades of high volume engine maintenance experience and is well-positioned to provide the highest quality service to our GTF engine customers."

"Pratt & Whitney has been committed to Columbus, Georgia, for the past 30 years, having provided thousands of jobs for our residents and tremendous corporate support to our community," said the Teresa Tomlinson, mayor, City of Columbus, Georgia.  "We believe with today's significant investment announcement that they will be providing more opportunities to our city and the region for the next 30 years."

The Columbus Engine Center, located 90 miles south of Atlanta, is the first facility in the world to begin maintaining PW1000G engines.  It will maintain PW1100G-JM and PW1500G engines, in addition to V2500, PW2000, F117 and F100 engines.

The center's new GTF engine facilities will include disassembly, inspection, assembly and test capability.  Construction will start this year on a new test facility adjacent to the existing test cell. In addition to the $65 million investment announced today, Pratt & Whitney has been investing in upgrading this facility over the past several years, including adding GTF engine MRO capabilities.

"The Pratt & Whitney Columbus Engine Center has become the company's engine overhaul center of excellence in North America due to its skilled workforce, proven track record for performance and potential for growth," Sylvestro said.  "The tremendous support we receive from the community and state have contributed to the success of this business."

(Source: Pratt & Whitney news release. Image from file)

FMI: www.pratt-whitney.com