Aerospace company WHI Global will open a new $12 million production facility in Enfield, and expects to hire more than 40 employees in Connecticut.
WHI, which makes composite parts and assemblies for the aerospace and defense markets, currently has facilities in New Jersey, Texas, Oklahoma and Massachusetts.
WHI made the announcement in partnership with Gov. Ned Lamont and AdvanceCT at the Paris Air Show. The company has also signed new contracts with Sikorsky to produce components for the UH-60 Black Hawk. WHI is a long-time supplier to Sikorsky on a number of platforms.
WHI is backed by private investment fund RVE Partners.
The company says the Enfield site is currently under construction and will feature clean rooms to support advanced composite manufacturing capabilities including layup, bonding, rubber vulcanization and compression molding. WHI is planning for expanded capacity to support additional production lines in the future.
“WHI is experiencing sustained growth, so we are eager to get our new Enfield facility online,” said CEO Al Altieri. “Our new operation will help us keep pace with the demand for our products and design for the future needs of our clients.”
“This is fantastic news for Connecticut and fantastic news for our growing aerospace and defense industry,” said Lamont. “WHI is joining the top aerospace component market in the country and will be able to hire from the best manufacturing talent pool in the world.”
