RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — An announcement this week by an international company could spell good news for a Jackson County-based plant.
Constellium, which operates a rolled aluminum products plant in Ravenswood, announced its signed a contract with Airbus to support all of the company’s leading aircraft programs.
“I am proud to see Airbus and Constellium continuing to build on their long track record of successful relationship in the context of the high order backlog ahead of our industry,” said Ingrid Jörg, President of Constellium’s Aerospace & Transportation business unit in a company news release. “By refining the way we work together, and thanks to the technology and industrial investments we made over the last years to increase our operational and business performance, Constellium is in a strong position to support Airbus in the execution of its key aerospace programs.”
The company said it plans to supply Airbus with “innovative and high-quality products” in large part from its plants in Ravenswood and Issoire, France.
The Ravenswood plant employs 750 hourly workers, most of which who are members of United Steelworkers of America Local 5658. Local president Dave Martin told MetroNews Wednesday he hoped to hear more about the contract from the company in the near future. Martin said Constellium has been filling vacancies and adding to the workforce at the Ravenswood plant in recent months.
Under the new agreement, Constellium will supply Airbus with a broad range of advanced aluminum rolled products for airframes including wing skin panels, aero-sheets for fuselage panels, as well as rectangular and pre-machined plates for structural components, according to the company release.
Other specifics of the contract were not immediately announced.