Cobham Opens Environmentally Conscious High-Tech Composite

Joined by political and industry dignitaries, Cobham formally opened its new state-of-the-art, “green building” certified composites manufacturing facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony here today.  The 73,500-sq. ft. facility represents one of the country’s few high-volume production capabilities of advanced composite products for the aerospace and defense industries.  Industry and state leaders expect that 200 new jobs will be created in the first five years of operation.  Cobham has invested over $5 million in just over four months to acquire and build the critical infrastructure necessary to establish this facility.

Demonstrating its commitment as an environmentally conscious company, Cobham built the facility in accordance with the U.S. Green Building Council’s internationally recognized LEED green building certification system.  LEED certification is a unique accomplishment among production facilities in composites manufacturing.  LEED provides third-party verification that the facility was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance in energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their affects.  For example, this new facility was built using locally manufactured and recycled materials, will use 30 percent less water than the baseline calculation, and includes bicycle storage and changing facilities to promote alternative transportation.

“We hope this facility sets an example for manufacturers across all sectors that a company can produce the most advanced products in the world while also taking steps to protect the environment,” said Jeremy Wensinger, President of Cobham Defense Systems.

“The opening of Cobham Composite Products’ $9.2 million state-of-the-art facility is good news for the City of Suffolk as well as our nation’s defense industrial base,” said Senator Jim Webb (D-Va.), who secured $3.1 million for production of the U.S. Air Force’s Miniature Air-Launched Decoy fuselage at the facility.  “Cobham, an international leader in aerospace and defense manufacturing, hopes to generate more than 200 new jobs in the Suffolk area by 2014.  Out of the 32 possible locations in the Midwest and on the East Coast that were considered, Suffolk rated first.  Cobham’s move to the area is proof of Hampton Roads’ highly qualified workforce, business-friendly ethos, transportation network, and quality of living.  I am pleased that my office was able to play a key role in helping make this project a reality.”

Complementing existing Cobham composite facilities in San Diego, Calif., this new facility will manufacture advanced aircraft engine components, aircraft and rotorcraft structural products, unmanned aerial vehicle components, as well as missile and munitions products for the U.S. aerospace and defense industry.  For example, the facility will manufacture engine components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter using advanced high temperature composite materials and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes.  It will employ Cobham’s unique Memory Shape Mandrel™ technology to produce an advanced composite fuselage for the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy that improves fuselage quality, reduces manufacturing costs, and uses a domestic source for raw material, eliminating the risks and costs of a foreign material source.  The facility will use an innovative “Out-of-Autoclave” precision bonding process in the manufacture of the main rotor blades for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps CH-53K, eliminating the expense and bottleneck associated with conventional autoclave curing.

Dignitaries attending today’s ceremony and touring the facility included Webb, who gave the keynote address, Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), and Suffolk Mayor Linda Johnson.  In addition, government and industry customers attended to gain a better understanding of the capabilities offered.

“Cobham is proud to be a new member of the Hampton Roads high-tech business community,” said Wensinger.  “The most significant factors that sold us on Suffolk included its outstanding quality of life, close proximity to excellent academic institutions, and – most importantly – a high-tech, skilled, and disciplined workforce available through the 1,100 military personnel who retire each month in the Tidewater area.  We look forward to contributing to the economic growth of Suffolk and also to giving back to the community.”

Confident that the facility will be a boon to the local economy, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Suffolk provided incentives for Cobham to establish it here through their respective economic development programs.  Virginia provided a $300,000 grant from the Governor’s Development Opportunity Fund and a $73,600 grant from the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.  The City of Suffolk provided a $824,400 grant.  Cobham’s total investment in the facility already exceeds $5 million, and the facility has been built to allow for future expansion.

In advance of today’s formal opening, Cobham announced that its ISO9001-2008 and AS9100 Rev B certifications were upgraded to include the new Suffolk facility.  These critical industry certifications reflect Cobham’s commitment to a world class quality management system to support best-in-class, advanced composite structure development and production.