EVERETT — Snohomish County will gain more aerospace jobs following announcements made Monday by suppliers at the Farnborough International Airshow.
The Umbra Group said it will move into a larger facility in Everett, which will allow the company to add as many as 100 jobs. Its subsidiary, Umbra Cuscinetti, Inc., will relocate to a larger 68,000 square foot facility in Everett.
“We are delighted to invest capital and acquire additional human resources in the Everett area that will enable us to meet the challenges of the ever-changing global markets,” Valter Baldaccini, president of the Umbra Group, said in a statement.
Gov. Chris Gregoire was on hand at the air show for Umbra’s announcement. The governor led a delegation of 48 representatives of the state’s aerospace companies, education institutes and government to the air show, which is held every other year outside London.
Also adding jobs in the state will be Fokker Aerostructures. In a call Monday morning with reporters, Gregoire announced the Dutch company plans to add 10 engineers and expand up to as many as 70 workers in Mukilteo. The company’s focus in the state primarily will be on research development for thermoplastic technologies.
On Monday, ASCO Design Center USA, Inc. announced it has signed a lease for an engineering office in Mukilteo. The subsidiary of ASCO Industries NV/SA of Belgium, is locating an office in Mukilteo in order to enhance service for customers of its high lift devices and mechanical assembly products.
ASCO’s Mukilteo location will start off with five employees with plans for expansion, according to an Economic Alliance of Snohomish County press release.
“This new location provides ASCO an opportunity to grow and expand, while bringing more jobs to our region,” Troy McClelland, president of the alliance, said in the release. “It also is a continued demonstration of the regions ability to support the technical workforce needs of our aerospace industry.”
Gregoire also met with executives at Aerojet, who informed the governor that the company will be expanding its space rocket engine business into Europe. The company already employs 450 high-tech workers at its Redmond offices. The new European venture is expected to provide key subcontracted work for its facility in Redmond, providing not only revenue growth but job growth for the region.
Finally, Dassault Systèmes signed an agreement with the Washington Board for Community and Technical Colleges to provide its 3-D training software to the state’s community colleges at a deeply discounted price. Gregoire said the agreement furthers the state’s ability to train aerospace workers, which is key in keeping and attracting aerospace companies. The agreement will allow thousands more students to train on the cutting-edge software required by Boeing and other aerospace employers.
Dassault has agreed to sell 1,200 educational-use licenses of the 3-D training software to the state board for $9,150, or $7.63 per license. Individual colleges have paid between $200 and $350 per license in the past.
“Our community and technical colleges are knowledge-producers for the aerospace industry,” said Charlie Earl, executive director of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. “This agreement means more students can take what they learn in the classroom directly into the workplace, without the need for extensive, on-the-job training.”
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