A slew of new jobs are flying into the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex thanks to a major consolidation project by Vought Aircraft Industries Inc.
Local government officials have heralded the project, announced in February, as “extraordinary for the whole region” and “the largest aerospace job announcement in recent Texas history.”
The company’s current employment base in Dallas is 3,200. The consolidation and growth plans call for adding slightly more than 3,000 new people by the end of 2009.
Vought Aircraft Industries is one of the world’s largest independent suppliers of aerostructures. The Dallas-based firm designs and manufactures airframe structures such as wings and fuselage subassemblies, for aircraft manufacturers.
A $35 million grant through the Governor’s Enterprise Fund was a major factor in the company’s decision.
“We see the Texas Enterprise Fund grant as the first step of a larger plan that, when combined with our own capital resources, will allow us to modernize our facilities and position ourselves for the future,” said Tom Risley, president and CEO of Vought.
Risley conceded that the airline industry’s woes have proven a tough challenge to face in recent years, but the company remains steadfast in its plan to move forward.
“As a company, we have taken a hard look at our long-term business plan in order to remain competitive,” Risley said. “Eliminating excess facility costs and plant modernizations are two areas of focus for Vought as a company.”
As part of the consolidation, the company intends to move operations from its Stuart, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn., sites to Dallas.
Work from the two facilities will be gradually transitioned during the next 18 to 36 months. About 1,000 people are employed in Nashville and 375 people are employed in Stuart. The company plans to offer all employees an opportunity to relocate to Dallas.
By Land or By Sea
Not many states can offer the variety of geographic personalities that the Lone Star State possesses — from the coastal shores of Galveston in Southern Texas, to the mountainous region enveloping El Paso in West Texas, to the pine-covered hills of Longview in East Texas, and the river-snaked region of San Marcos in Central Texas.
For companies with shipping needs, the southern fringe of Texas presents several port options.
The Port of Galveston recently expanded its reach overseas when Wallenius Wilhelmsen began offering a new cargo sailing service twice a month to the Middle East, with continuing service to the Far East.
The transportation and logistics services provider began operations in Galveston 10 years ago with one service to Europe.
It now also offers service to the east coast of South America, which includes visits to the Dominican Republic, Panama and Mexico.
Further down the coast, companies like Cabett Subsea Products Inc., BASF Corp., The Dow Chemical Co. and Chiquita Brands Inc. have established operations in the vicinity of Port Freeport.
These companies, and many others, have discovered Port Freeport’s advantages, such as available real estate and warehouse space, an energetic local work force, deepwater proximity, Foreign-Trade Zone status, on-site customs and efficient transportation systems — whether by highway, railway or the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Port Freeport, which is the second largest container port on the Texas Gulf coast, has more than 7,500 acres available for future development.
Projects Unfold Across State
Business, like wildflowers, is blooming around Texas. The state boasts no personal or income tax, no state property tax, and no unitary tax.
Hundreds of jobs will soon find their way into the Houston metro thanks to Wal-Mart’s plan to build a distribution center there. The 2 million square foot facility will cover about 50 acres.
Construction should begin on the facility this summer and is slated to be complete by next year.
In the West Texas city of Lubbock, Houston-based ChaseCom acquired the call center and assets of West Communications.
ChaseCom provides customer contact and relationship management services to a select group of Fortune 100 clients, including SBC Communications.
“Lubbock stands out above other tier-1 markets in that it has a consistent rate of economic growth and a vast pool of skilled labor,” said Morgan Smith, chief operating officer for ChaseCom.
The Toyota truck assembly plant in San Antonio continues to attract suppliers. At least 10 suppliers, plus several service companies, anticipate opening facilities near the plant.
The suppliers will invest about $100 million in building and equipment, and employ more than 1,000 workers.
Construction on the $800 million, 2000-employee plant is slated to begin later this year.
When fully operational in 2006, the plant will roll out 150,000 Tundra trucks annual
Means the article is accessible only to our magazine subscribers.
