Aurora Flight Sciences Expands Operations in Bridgeport, WV

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BRIDGEPORT, WV (Aurora Flight Sciences)

Aurora Flight Sciences celebrated the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art composite manufacturing facility today at its Bridgeport, Harrison-Marion Regional Airport, location. Aurora already operates a 65,000-square-foot plant at the location. The new 40,000-square-foot facility will house the company’s composite manufacturing operations which builds parts for U.S. military programs like the Air Force’s Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle. Aurora is a participant in the U. S. Air Force’s Lean Aerospace Initiative in collaboration with MIT and the facility was designed to be a national showcase for lean manufacturing technology. Today’s event coincided with the company’s 15 year anniversary celebration.

"Fifteen years ago, John Langford started Aurora Flight Sciences with a staff of three people - himself included. The team was small, but the plans for the future were big. And they're being realized right here in West Virginia, at our Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex (MAAC)," said Congressman Alan B. Mollohan, keynote speaker at Saturday's grand opening event.

"We're proud of Aurora's progress, which stands as another sign of the growing capabilities of MAAC's member companies. Under the leadership of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, our team continues to work to build a dynamic aerospace sector that provides good jobs for the people of our region," added Mollohan, D-W.Va.

The building will be owned by the MAAC and occupied by Aurora under a 20 year lease. State financing was provided through a West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council loan of $2.5 million and a $500,000 loan from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority. “We’re excited about the progress we are making in growing our manufacturing facilities in West Virginia and are very appreciative of the support that the West Virginia Development Office has provided in close cooperation with MAAC,” said Aurora president John Langford.

Aurora’s presence in Bridgeport has translated into new jobs and expects continued growth in employment over the next year. Aurora currently employs a total of 270 people with 170 in West Virginia up from 98 employees one year ago. Aurora heavily invests in training employees on new equipment and cross training between departments. Aurora’s manufacturing plant in Bridgeport, an ISO 9001 facility, recently added state-of-the-art composite and metal bonding equipment, including autoclaves, water jet cutter, numerically controlled milling machines and non-destructive inspection capabilities.

About Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences is a leading supplier of unmanned air vehicle (UAV) designs, components, metal and composite structures, and flight services for government, industry, and academic institutions. The company operates facilities in West Virginia, Northern Virginia, and California. Aurora specializes in high-altitude, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and high-performance UAVs, and also provides rapid-turnaround prototyping of advanced UAV designs. The company can be found on the Web at www.aurora.aero.