Celebration Focuses On Community Giving And Participation Over 10 Years

Airbus Engineering employees this week joined county and city leaders, education leaders and representatives of local charitable organizations to recognize and celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Airbus Engineering Center in Mobile, AL.

David Trent, Site Director-Airbus Engineering Center, has led the team since the beginning. He said, "Our success is entirely a result of good people who first came with a shared mission to build something from the ground up, and now work hard every day to make Airbus a leading aircraft manufacturer. We have 220 people here who have the respect of their colleagues in Europe and are seen as an integral part of Airbus around the world. We also are proud to have been a part of Mobile for the past decade, and look forward to working together to ensure Airbus is an integral part of this community for many more years to come!"

The Engineering Center opened in January 2007 with a goal of housing 150 engineers primarily focused on cabin engineering and design on the new A350 XWB aircraft. Today, the center is home to more than 200 engineers and support staff working on nearly all of the commercial aircraft products in the Airbus fleet family.

The ceremony, held at the Engineering Center, focused on the contribution employees have made over the past decade to the company and the Mobile community. Some key figures about the past decade include:

• Grown to 220 employees
• Paid $180 million in salaries
• Donated $525,000 to the community (education, United Way, various charities)
• Spent $6 million with local companies

"Our employees and their families are a vital part of the community where they live and work. Their contributions through various charitable activities and STEM education are invaluable, and a vital part of ensuring Mobile's success," said Barry Eccleston, CEO of Airbus Americas, Inc. "We truly believe we are investing in their future and ours with every activity. We are proud of our partnership with Alabama and Mobile, and we are grateful for the enthusiastic welcome we have received over the past decade. We're building great things together."

Guest speakers at the event included Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, who read a city proclamation naming January 30, 2017 Airbus Engineering Day in the city; County Commission President Merceria Ludgood; and Greg Canfield from the Alabama Department of Commerce. Nearly 70 guests joined the 220 Airbus Engineering team for a barbecue lunch following the official event to celebrate the decade milestone.

(Image provided with Airbus news release)

FMI: www.airbus.com