TULSA, Okla., April 17, 2007—The NORDAM Group has been selected by Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, to provide executive cabinetry for the newest aircraft in the Citation family, the CJ4. The program is the first Cessna cabinetry contract awarded to NORDAM, and comes just before the new 120,000 square-foot cabinetry facility in Wichita, Kan. is scheduled to open in April 2007. NORDAM will build, assemble, and finish all CJ4 cabinetry in the new Wichita facility. The first set is scheduled to be delivered in July.
“This is a very significant breakthrough for us,” said Tray Siegfried, NORDAM vice president, Business Jet Sales and Strategic Resources. “It is exactly the kind of program we have been working for since opening our Wichita facility. When you consider the fine reputation of Cessna aircraft, the opportunity to showcase NORDAM’s cabinetry on the CJ4 is outstanding. We have always been dedicated to manufacturing the highest quality cabinetry and the CJ4 program is a rewarding result.”
The introduction of the CJ4 has been well received with more than 110 aircraft already on order. The value of the cabinetry contract is estimated at close to $100 million over the next 10-15 years. NORDAM will produce a variety of cabinetry pieces which will include the refreshment center, lavatory, closets, aft dividers and bulkheads, armrests, side ledges, and tables. Each set of cabinetry will be built to Cessna design and tailored to meet customer specifications of veneers and cabin configuration.
“The CJ4 cabinet program is the result of a lot of hard work and planning,” said Gary Ball, NORDAM vice president and general manager, Interiors and Structures Division. “A program like
this is very special and the timing could not have been better. We have increased capacity with our new facility, built a strong, talented workforce in Wichita, and refined many production processes. It is exciting to see what can be accomplished as all the pieces come together.”
Through strategic initiatives, NORDAM has escalated its presence in the executive cabinetry market by targeting new programs; partnering with JetStar Aeronautics to open a joint-venture facility in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil; and building a brand new, fully equipped facility in Wichita to support further growth. Currently, NORDAM provides custom cabinetry for Pilatus Aircraft’s PC-12 turboprop and Embraer’s Legacy 600 executive jet. The CJ4 program builds upon a long term relationship NORDAM has established with Cessna as a supplier of composite interior components and thrust reversers for several of its other business jet platforms.
“We are committed to the continued growth of the executive cabinetry business,” said Siegfried. “We decided in 1998 we would become one of the premier cabinet makers in the industry and we remain dedicated to that goal and to Cessna, general aviation, and the Wichita community.”
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2006, Cessna delivered 1,239 aircraft and reported revenues of about $4.2 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 189,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 5,000 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
The NORDAM Group, headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., is one of the largest independently owned aerospace companies in the world. NORDAM designs, certifies and manufactures integrated propulsion systems, nacelles and thrust reversers for business jets. In addition, NORDAM manufactures composite aircraft structures, interior shells, custom cabinetry, radomes, and aircraft transparencies such as cabin windows, wing tip lenses and simulator screens. It is also one of the world’s largest third-party providers of maintenance, repair and overhaul services to the military, commercial airline and air freight markets. The company employs approximately 2,700 people around the globe, with facilities in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Singapore. Additional information is available at www.nordam.com.