AAR Corp. earns $3M contract
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on August 16, 2007 1:45 PM
AAR Cargo Systems announced this week that it has received a $3 million federal contract to provide 25 cargo handling systems for the U.S. Army's Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
The contract, which is among a number of projects being handled by the Goldsboro manufacturing plant, will run until September 2008. Work on the 25 systems will begin next month.
The company, AAR Manufacturing Inc., a division of AAR Corp., came to Wayne County in April 2006, moving into a shell building in ParkEast, the county's business and industrial park. It employs about 140 people.
"We're getting up to speed, and we're doing well," Chief Executive Officer Gregg Miner said.
He explained that the plant will make the floors that lock in the cargo for the helicopters, which haul both cargo and troops.
He estimated that approximately 20 to 25 percent of AAR's contracts involve the military. The rest are with 13 major commercial airlines, six regional airlines, four cargo carriers, 11 manufacturer and maintenance providers and nine governments.
He explained that they received this contract because of their experience making the cargo systems for the Chinooks.
"We're the incumbent," he said. "We've made over 175 systems over the last 15 to 20 years."
The news was well-received by local economic development officials as a sign that the company is thriving and doing well.
"That's great that they got this contract," said Joanna Thompson, Wayne County Development Alliance president. "It's going gangbusters over there.
"They're a great addition to this county."