$50 Million Airplane Components Testing Lab Breaks Ground in Northern Illinois

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Windsor Locks, Connecticut), a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX)(Hartford, Connecticut), has broken ground on a $50 million airplane components testing laboratory in Rockford, Illinois.

The 12,000 square foot, 2-story facility will be used for the testing of components for the Boeing Company's (NYSE:BA) (Chicago, Illinois) 787 program. Airline parts for the 787 program from across the globe will be transported to the new Rockford facility for testing.

The new testing lab is expected to be completed and operational in the spring of 2006. Initially, Sundstrand's local employment will rise from 130 to 200, once the facility is opened, but local employment should continue to rise for the company for decades, as the company is committed to operating the new lab for the length of the 787 program.

The 787 program already has a commitment from at least eighteen airlines for over 200 new aircraft, so testing facilities such as this one will be in high demand as these aircraft are built. The main purpose of the testing lab will be to put together various airplane parts to see how they work under literally thousands of situations, testing every possible contingency. The first of the 787 airplanes, the Dreamliner, is expected to roll off the production line in the fall of 2007.

The lab was designed by Larson & Darby Group, the construction manager for the project is Affiliated Construction Services (Madison, Wisconsin), and the general contractor is John Fridh & Sons (Rockford, Illinois).

Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, is one of the largest suppliers of advanced aerospace and industrial products. Hamilton Sundstrand designs and manufactures aerospace systems for commercial, regional, corporate, and military aircraft. It is also a major supplier of parts for international space programs. Some of the industrial sectors Hamilton Sundstrand supplies are the hydrocarbons industry, the chemicals industry, the food processing industry, the mining industry, and the construction industry. Hamilton Sundstrand's parent company also owns Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky Aircraft, Otis Elevator Company, and Carrier Corporation.

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