Acument Global Technologies to Establish Aerospace Threaded Fastener Production Operation in Rockford, Ill.
o Camcar® Aerospace to Generate Production Jobs And Help Local Economy
o Operation Addresses Strong Market Demand For Aerospace Threaded Fasteners
o $750,000 in Federal Funds Will Spur Titanium Research and Development
ROCKFORD, Ill. (March 25, 2008) - Acument Global Technologies, Inc. (Acument) today announced it will reenter the high-performance aerospace threaded fastener market with the opening of a production complex in Rockford, Ill., that will create jobs and open a new chapter in the city's long history of supplying assembly systems and technology to global producers of commercial and military aircraft.
Acument's new Camcar® Aerospace production center will be housed in two renovated facilities that will include a materials research and development operation, along with heading and secondary machines organized in work cells to produce specialty screws, bolts and other threaded fasteners made from sophisticated aerospace grade materials. Both buildings - one 37,732 square feet, the other 11,236 square feet - are owned by Acument Global Technologies and adjoin one another on 18th Avenue in Rockford.
"Our new manufacturing capabilities in Rockford will help address capacity shortages for specialty threaded fasteners generated by the boom in global aircraft production," said Martin Schnurr, vice president and general manager of Acument North America. "As worldwide manufacturing of new aircraft grows to almost $140 billion by 2015, there will be strong demand for the high-performance fasteners we will be producing over the next 10 years."
The company's return to aerospace threaded fastening continues a heritage begun in 1943 in the midst of World War II when the Camcar Products Co. was founded to develop fastening solutions for the B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. "This focus on design and manufacturing engineering then extended into specialty fastening systems for NASA's Lunar Rover Vehicles, and will be the primary driver of our new operation," Schnurr said.
Low-volume production is already underway at Camcar Aerospace, and total outfitting of the two buildings will be completed over the next two years, Schnurr noted. It will reach peak production in 2010.
"A wide range of different types of fastening systems will be added during that time to meet customer needs, and will feature Acument's patented TORX PLUS® Drive System," he said. "We will begin with approximately 50 salaried and hourly employees and will hire machine operators and other personnel as production ramps up."
Schnurr made his remarks during a tour this morning of the Camcar Aerospace facilities attended by Congressman Don Manzullo of the 16th Congressional District of Illinois, and other local, state and federal officials.
"Acument's new Camcar Aerospace operation establishes a benchmark for resurgence of Rockford and Illinois as world capitals for research, development, design, and production of systems and components for the aerospace industry," Congressman Manzullo said.
"As part of this commitment we are directing $750,000 in federal funds to enable
Camcar Aerospace and Northern Illinois University to conduct joint research and development programs to foster development of titanium components that are vital to America's future aerospace and defense leadership," Congressman Manzullo added. "Our long-range goal is to establish Rockford as the world capital for titanium manufacturing processes and technology."
Camcar Aerospace has been officially recommended as qualified for AS9100 Quality Systems Aerospace Certification, a set of rigorous quality standards that exceed Federal Aviation Administration requirements.
Skilled heading and secondary machine operators interested in applying for future openings at Camcar Aerospace may forward their resumes to: Acument Global Technologies, Human Resources, 500 18th Ave. Rockford, IL 61104. Open salaried positions can be found in the Careers section of Acument's website: www.acument.com/findajob.asp
About Acument Global Technologies, Inc.
Headquartered in Troy, Mich., USA, Acument Global Technologies, Inc., is among the world's leading providers of mechanical fastening systems and value-based fastening solutions, including engineered fastening systems, state-of-the-art fastening installation technology, and inventory management and application engineering services. With about 8,500 employees in 17 countries worldwide, the company supplies fastening products, systems and services to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information about Acument Global Technologies: www.acument.com
Media Contacts:
Timothy G. Weir,
Acument Global Technologies
(248) 813-6329
tweir@acument.com
Tim Trainor, Trainor Communications
(313) 822-4000
trainorcomm@comcast.net
