GKN Aerospace Completes Sale of Spin-Forming Location to Boeing

Boeing has completed its purchase of a GKN Aerospace facility in Orangeburg, South Carolina, bringing on all the employees there and taking over all operations.

GKN Aerospace was happy to get rid of the spin-forming factory, since its full output has been heading to Boeing anyways. The Orangeburg factory was built in 2012, and later expanded as they garnered additional business from Boeing, but overall its output primarily consisted of engine lip skins for the 737 MAX and 777X. GKN said that "its niche spin-forming technology is not core to GKN Aerospace’s focused product portfolio and, with Boeing as the site’s only customer, the strategic sale benefits all parties."

Seemingly, everything went pretty easy for all involved, with all Orangeburg GKN employees onboarded into the Boeing family without issue. GKN's other work as of late has seen their expansion into additional canopy production for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, Compressor cases for the Rolls-Royce UltraFan and 3d printing tech for future engine parts. It's not too surprising that the company didn't see much issue in handing off something that isn't really too deep in their wheelhouse. Perhaps more surprising is that the sale makes good on a culture shift at Boeing, where the company is much more amenable towards bringing formerly subcontracted work in-house for additional control over quality and knowledge transfer. 

FMI: www.gknaerospace.com