Pratt & Whitney opens expanded Florida operations

West Palm Beach, Fla. – Pratt & Whitney leadership, employees, and state and local leaders officially dedicated the company’s new engine center to meet the forecasted demands of the Next Generation Product Family (NGPF) of engines. This facility also provides a critical second source for the F135 engine, which ensures no single point of failure as the company prepares for the anticipated ramp up and future capacity to support its global customer base.

 

"UTC has a rich history here in Palm Beach County, with Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky that date back 50 years," said UTC Chairman & CEO Louis Chênevert, addressing more than 100 people who attended the ribbon-cutting event. "Our employees and operations in West Palm Beach are key to UTC's success."

 

It was just two years ago when Chênevert announced the expansion of the facility, an investment of more than $63 million. Now the hope and the vision of what this place could become is now reality. This accomplishment allows Pratt & Whitney to expand the company's manufacturing and assembly/test network and supports the company's strategy to limit single points of failure on critical programs.

 

The 97,000ft² facility was built in less than a year, and will be responsible for constructing the PurePower PW1100G-JM, a modern engine for the Airbus A320neo that offers reductions in noise, emissions and fuel burn. West Palm will also provide a second source to assemble the F135 engine powering F-35 Lightning II for a global military customer base.

 

"We have customer orders for over 5,500 PurePower engines for various aircraft platforms and we are building engines for the F-35 Lightning II for customers all around the globe," said Danny Di Perna, Pratt & Whitney vice president for Engineering and Operations. "Our manufacturing strategy is based on balancing capability, capacity, flexibility and affordability. This facility is a testament that we are ready for the impending ramp by transforming our global operations."

 

Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera also announced further job growth at the West Palm Beach Engine Center with the company's ongoing Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) portfolio integration. The military APU business in San Diego, Calif., will transition to West Palm Beach over the next two years, bringing an additional 110 jobs to the facility.