Howmet picks Whitehall for new plant

Howmet Corp., Greenwich, CT, will build a new 120,000 ft2 facility, in Whitehall, MI. The new plant will be dedicated to casting directionally solidified and single crystal components to meet spare parts demand of aircraft currently operating worldwide. The new casting plant is expected to generate $60 million in additional sales initially, rising eventually to $100 million.

"We project our spare parts business will keep growing even as new-engine builds experience a decline for a few years," says David L. Squier, president and CEO, Howmet. Normally, spare parts production makes up almost half of the company's aerospace business. The company's sales to land-based power generation systems producers, which provide close to half of Howmet's annual revenue, are also rising and further buffer the company against the aerospace industry's cyclical downturns.

According to Squier, a number of factors led Howmet to choose the Whitehall, MI, location which is home to the largest concentration of operations for the company. These factors include the area's technical resources and skilled labor force, and Michigan's dedication to improving the business climate in the state.

In other company news, Howmet signed an agreement to license several counter-gravity casting processes and technologies from Hitchiner Mfg. Co. Inc., Milford, NH. In a separate agreement, Howmet will share with Hitchiner aspects of the synchronous manufacturing technology it has developed.