June 30, 2010 -- With officials from state and local economic development agencies in attendance, FlightSafety International today broke ground on a new Broken Arrow flight training system production facility. Rick Armstrong, FlightSafety vice president, said the new facility will be 340,000 square feet, support up to 1,000 workers. He said construction of the new state-of-the-art facility is expected to be completed by June 2011. The expansion will support the addition of more than 300 jobs over the next few years.
FlightSafety, which has been operating in Oklahoma since 1978, designs and produces sophisticated flight simulators used to train business, commercial and military aviators.
"FlightSafety’s new flight simulation equipment design and manufacturing facility will enable us to further increase our manufacturing processes and become more efficient, augment our production capacity, and enhance our productive work environment in Broken Arrow," Armstrong said.
The building will include a dedicated area for component manufacturing, final assembly, and shipping and receiving. It has been designed in accordance with the Lean Manufacturing Flow process to ensure the flight simulators and other advanced training devices the company builds are produced efficiently and with high quality.
It will also include areas for engineering, customer service and logistics support as well as office areas. The entire facility will be designed and built to conserve energy and to provide an efficient and productive work environment.
"The Aerospace industry in Oklahoma is one of the state’s largest and most important business sectors," said Deputy Director of Commerce Jonna Kirschner. "We are excited to see FlightSafety realize the opportunity for growth here in Oklahoma. With companies like FlightSafety, Oklahoma has become a national leader in aerospace industry activity. As the state’s lead economic development agency, Commerce works day in and day out to ensure our aerospace industry continues to thrive."
Mickey Thompson, president and CEO of the Broken Arrow Area Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, said the community is excited to have a company like FlightSafety develop and become a stronger partner for the city and the state.
"FlightSafety’s decision to stay and expand in Broken Arrow is the result of the company’s willingness to work with the community and state to discover ways of making it possible . . . there are lessons to be learned from this terrific effort," said Thompson.
Armstrong said FlightSafety, an Oklahoma Quality Jobs program participant, is proud to be a member of the local business community and the state’s aerospace industry.
"We appreciate the support and assistance from all of our partners in this endeavor -- the City of Broken Arrow, Broken Arrow’s Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce," Armstrong said.
Broken Arrow Mayor Mike Lester said Broken Arrow is extremely proud to have FlightSafety within the community.
"We have developed a partnership with FlightSafety within the City, school district, chamber and Economic Development Corporation," Lester said. "This will only grow that relationship for bigger and better opportunities for both them and our community. It is our hope that other businesses will see an opportunity for their organizations to grow with us as well."