Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford says its aftermarket division has launched into the aircraft accessories market with its purchase of a Washington state manufacturer of aircraft interiors and accessories.
Separately, Sikorsky disclosed plans to move production at its Schweizer Aircraft facility in Big Flats, N.Y., to a Sikorsky facility in Pennsylvania, according to the Elmira Star Gazette.
Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) acquired privately owned LifePort Inc., of Woodland, Wash., for undisclosed terms. LifePort will operate as a division of Sikorsky Aerospace.
LifePort, with 2009 revenues of about $65 million, specializes in air medical systems, lightweight armor, interior furnishings and galley equipment for airplanes and helicopters. LifePort also has plants in Georgetown and Plano, Texas.
SAS provides the military and civilian aircraft market with maintenance, overhaul and repair, aircraft modifications and life-cycle support. Adding LifePort broadens SAS’s appeal for “one-stop shopping” for aircraft customers, said President David Adler.
Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. in Hartford.
In the Schweizer Aircraft move, Sikorsky also plans to transfer a “vast majority” of the 400 jobs at the Schweizer facility to the Black Hawk helicopter finishing site on Kahler Road, the newspaper reports on its Web site.
Sikorsky will then demolish the Schweizer facility, which it says has become too expensive to maintain.
“This is going to be a carefully phased transition, and it’s important that we do it in a way that won’t interfere with our obligation to the customers,” spokesman Paul Jackson said. “We’re still planning all of this out and it won’t be completed until next year.”
The transition, Jackson said, includes relocating the manufacturing of Schweizer’s light utility helicopters to Sikorsky’s Global Helicopters facility in Coatesville, Pa.
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