Embraer S.A. broke ground on the new Embraer Engineering and Technology Center USA, achieving the next milestone in the development of the 67,000-square-foot facility. The new building is expected to open in mid-2014 and will house the 200 employees the Center expects to have by the end of 2016.
“The continuing development of Embraer in Florida reflects our growth as a global company and our commitment to the US market", said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President & CEO.
Located at Melbourne International Airport on 13 acres, the Embraer Engineering and Technology Center USA represents a $26 million investment over the next five years by Embraer and is part of the company’s long-term strategy to be closer to its customers and its major markets. The Engineering Center will create 200 jobs at an average salary of $70,000 per year in such specialties as Mechanical and Electrical Systems Engineers, Interior Design Engineers, Structural Engineers and Certification Engineers. To date, 12 employees, including former Kennedy Space Center personnel, have been hired and are working in temporary facilities adjacent to the airport. The company continues to evaluate potential candidates.
“Our strategy is to increase the scope and depth of our engineering capacity extending it globally and enabling Embraer to take full advantage of the engineering talent and resources throughout the world,” said Walter Pinto Jr, Managing Director.
The Engineering and Technology Center USA will include a state-of-the-art and fully capable engineering center complete with 3D Computer Aided Design, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Finite Element Modeling, 3D Virtual Reality Center, prototype capabilities and sophisticated laboratories and other test equipment.
Announced in 2008, Embraer´s Melbourne campus currently includes the 80,000-square foot assembly and paint facilities for the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 aircraft, the first jet production facility in Florida which opened in February 2011. It also includes the 58,000-square-foot customer center, opened in December 2011. To date, Embraer has invested $50 million in current buildings at Melbourne and employs 212. In addition, it has invested over $824 million in the United States in facilities and infrastructure since 1979 through the end of 2011 and expects to have invested approximately $1 billion by the end of 2012.