For Immediate Release...
July 6, 2010
Eastern North Carolina Represented at Farnborough International Air Show
A group of private aerospace companies and state agencies are joining forces to represent Eastern North Carolina at the upcoming Farnborough International Air Show later this month. Representatives from North Carolina's Eastern Region, the Global TransPark, Spatial Integrated Systems, and Commerce Overseas Corporation will travel to England to take part in one of the world's largest aerospace events. The Farnborough Air Show is held every two years and attracts approximately 300,000 visitors from around the world.
North Carolina's Eastern Region is the economic development partnership that represents a 13-county region in Eastern North Carolina consisting of Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Nash, Onslow, Pamlico, Pitt, Wayne and Wilson Counties. Aerospace and defense are targeted industries for the Eastern Region which already boasts major industry leaders such as AAR, Eaton, Honeywell, Kidde Aerospace, Spirit AeroSystems, FRC East, Mountain Air Cargo, and Defense Holdings.
"The arrival of Spirit AeroSystems brought renewed attention to our defense/aerospace sector," said John D. Chaffee, President and CEO of North Carolina's Eastern Region. Chaffee stated, "We have several well-known companies in our region that employ over 5,000 workers with an expectation for a growth rate of at least 20 percent over the next several years and we hope that growth will enable us to develop a more extensive supply chain. The Eastern Region made contact with several companies at the Paris Air Show in 2009 and expect to have follow-up meetings with several of those this year."
The North Carolina Global TransPark is a 2,500-acre multi-modal airport industrial park developed by the State to attract jobs in aerospace, aviation and supporting industries to Eastern North Carolina. The GTP's anchor tenant is Spirit AeroSystems, which recently opened a 500,000 square-foot production facility in Kinston, NC.
"This is the first time the Global TransPark has attended the Farnborough Air Show and we're glad to have the opportunity to raise awareness of the Global TransPark among the international aerospace community," said Alanna King, marketing and communications manager for the Global TransPark.
Spatial Integrated Systems is a leader in the development and integration of solutions incorporating next generation digital 3D data capture and processing technologies. With Federal and commercial customers across the U.S., SIS offers an integrated set of products and services supporting reverse engineering, design, prototyping, manufacturing integration, and IT. Will Austin, director of business development and government relations, says the company hopes to uncover new markets for its products at Farnborough.
"Spatial Integrated Systems is attending Farnborough to explore international markets for our sensor technologies which incorporate 3D visualization," said Austin. "We will be talking to customers about these solutions as well as our sensor technology for unmanned systems."
Commerce Overseas Corporation is a manufacturer and supplier of aerospace parts for military aircraft. The company's customers include the U.S. military, Coast Guard, and several foreign countries. The company is a veteran exhibitor at the Farnborough Air Show, but company president Chris Garville says he is looking forward to increased opportunity for exposure this year.
"We have attended Farnborough for over 20 years. We are extremely pleased to be part of the North Carolina booth because it gives our company a much better presence than what we've had in the past," commented Garville. "It gives companies like ours a stronger, more credible first impression with potential customers."
Both Spatial Integrated Systems and Commerce Overseas Corporation are located in the growing aerospace cluster being formed at the Global TransPark in Eastern North Carolina.
The Farnborough Air Show will be held July 19-23, 2010 in England.
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FOR INFORMATION:
Alanna King
(252) 522-4929, ext. 719
e-mail: aking@ncgtp.com
