ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 14, 1996 TAG: 9608140023
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MARION
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
A Western Virginia company that lost most of its work force to national defense downsizing won back a bit of work Tuesday to produce parts for military transport planes.
Marion Composites said it has signed a contract with McDonnell Douglas Corp. of St. Louis. The pact, worth as much as $61 million, is to build parts for C-17 Globemaster III military air transports from now through 2004. The work is expected to create 37 jobs at the Marion plant over the next 24 to 30 months.
Marion Composites will produce landing-gear doors and rocket-fin-like winglets, which improve efficiency and handling capabilities of long-range aircraft.
The plant already made flap panels and nose and tail radomes for the C-17 and earned McDonnell Douglas' "silver" supplier certification, a level reached by only 10 percent of its suppliers.
The plant formerly operated as Brunswick Defense and Brunswick Composites, employing as many as 1,300 before military budget and spending cuts.
The company, currently a unit of Technical Products Group Inc. of Atlanta, now employs about 500 people. Steve Sperry, project manager for the C-17 winglets and gear doors, said the contract will allow it to hire 30 hourly workers and seven salaried engineer-support staff members when the new production starts next year.
Sen. John Warner, R-Va., told McDonnell Douglas representatives at the contract announcement that "for every dollar of pay, you get two to three dollars of productivity" from the Marion Composites employees. He said the 25 C-17 airplanes in operation are a vital part of the nation's defense capability, with their ability to carry people or cargo totaling as much as 160,000 pounds and deliver them on small runways at world trouble spots.
Willis said 12 of the craft have been used in Bosnia, including one in which President Clinton flew, and in last year's hurricane relief in the Caribbean. The Air Force contracted with McDonnell Douglas in May for 80 more C-17s beyond the 40 already under contract.
"The reality is that we'll build many more than 120 airplanes. There's foreign interest and we've had commercial inquiries as well." said Pam Willis, McDonnell Douglas vice president and general manager for supplier management and transport aircraft. Marion Composites will have the opportunity to be part of that production too, she said.
Marion Mayor Marshall Guy recalled how the defense products built by Brunswick Corp. had been Smyth County's economic lifeblood in previous decades, before layoffs led to high unemployment. Marion Composites now operates in the former Brunswick facilities and, he said, has done much to boost the economy again.
The Manufacturing Technology Center, based at Wytheville Community College, will provide employee training for the work required under the new contract.
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