NORDAM Announces Interiors and Structures Facility Expansion

TULSA, OKLA. – A 50,000-square-foot expansion on the west end of NORDAM’s Interiors and Structures (I&S) facility is underway, adding space for an automated chemical process line to support both new and legacy business.

A multitude of custom-designed, automated equipment is in the works, including a conveyor system to carry parts through a priming process that culminates with transfer to the aerospace manufacturing facility’s Bonding area.

"Our facility expansion provides state-of-the-art clean line capability to support a variety of aerospace applications," I&S vice president and general manager Phil Marshall said. "The size and capacity of this line will allow us to process metallic skins up to 21 feet long and 10 feet wide. We also have incorporated a material handling system directly into the clean line design to accommodate high-rate production."

Marshall notes the automated approach will reduce material handling in general, in turn minimizing the likelihood of part damage. With this improvement in our automation level, NORDAM anticipates adding some headcount next year to support the resulting increase in production rates.

"We are pleased to be able to expand in support of the changing needs of our customers," CEO Meredith Siegfried said. "NORDAM actively pursues projects that make sense for us and for our customers – this expansion is a prime example of our commitment to being the benchmark."

In existence since NORDAM’s founding in 1969, I&S opened its own new facility in 2002 with 430,000 square feet in Tulsa’s Cherokee Industrial Park. Construction on the multi-million-dollar expansion began in November 2012, with components engineered for a 30-year life span. Featuring a higher-efficiency HVAC system, environmentally-friendly scrubber methods and state-of-the-art wastewater treatment, it is slated for completion by this time next year, with enough space to further increase capacity in the years ahead.

Tulsa-area contractors involved in the project include: Crafton Tull; Fleming Building Company; Mars Electric; and OCE Mechanical

ABOUT NORDAM

Headquartered in Tulsa and employing 2,500 people across nine facilities on three continents, NORDAM is one of the world’s largest independently owned aerospace companies. The firm designs, certifies and manufactures integrated propulsion systems, nacelles and thrust reversers for business jets; builds composite aircraft structures, interior shells, custom cabinetry and radomes; and manufactures aircraft transparencies, such as cabin windows, wing-tip lens assemblies and flight deck windows. NORDAM also is a major third-party provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services to the military, commercial airline and air freight markets.

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