First U.S. made Phenom 100 is on its way!
Embraer officially started production of its entry-level jet in the U.S. .São José dos Campos, July 6, 2011 – Embraer Executive Jets facility in Melbourne, FL welcomed the fuselage and wing parts of the first Phenom 100 entry level jet to be assembled in the United States on June 10. The arrival of the fuselage confirms that the Company remains on target for the production of the first Embraer aircraft scheduled to be delivered to its customer before the end of 2011.
“The arrival of parts into the brand new 80,000 square feet assembly facility for the Phenom 100 was a meaningful moment for our employees in Melbourne,” says Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer Executive Jets. “It is a milestone that reiterates our commitment to our U.S. presence and to our customers worldwide. It also substantiates the success of this innovative product as we all look forward to start deliveries of the first made-in-America units.”
The Phenom 100 was the most delivered business jet in the world in 2010, further strengthening Embraer’s increase in overall executive jet market share. The assembly of these jets in Melbourne will help re-invigorate aerospace activity in an area strongly impacted by the ending of the Space Shuttle program.
“We currently have 69 qualified engineers and other aviation technicians – some of which are former NASA employees – working on the Phenom 100 assembly line in this Brevard County facility,” says Phil Krull, Embraer Managing Director of Embraer Executive Jets. “We expect to have a total of 200 employees hired by the end of 2012, as production ramps up.”
About the Melbourne assembly plant
As part of the Company’s plans for expanding operations in the U.S. and being closer to its customers, Embraer first announced the choice of Melbourne as its hometown to its first fully owned Executive Jets assembly plant in May 2008. In December of that year, it broke ground on the first phase of the construction – productions hangar and administrative building – of a 150,000-square-foot total, state-of-the-art facility, USD 50 million investment.
On February 21, 2011 Embraer held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the inauguration of the administrative building and production hangar in presence of all its partners -State of Florida, the Economic Development Commission (EDC) of Florida’s Space Coast, Melbourne International Airport, Enterprise Florida, the City of Melbourne, and BBVA Compass Bank.
A second construction phase for the company’s Customer Center is well under way and should be completed by end of October 2011. This high-end facility will welcome customers from all corners of the world and will offer them a showroom in which they will find a vast collection of finishing materials samples as well as visualization technology that will help them design their aircraft interiors.
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