SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Construction of a new design and manufacturing center in Utah for aerospace composites has hit the halfway mark, ITT Exelis announced.
When completed, the center will add 250,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space to the company's current presence in the Salt Lake City area.
The company said its expanded manufacturing is in keeping with its strategy of investing in areas such as aerostructures and air traffic management and is driven by rising demand for composite parts on military and commercial aircraft.
"The use of high-strength composite materials continues to increase due to their lighter weight, greater durability and significantly lower maintenance cost," said Jim Barber, vice president and general manager of Exelis Integrated Structures. "We fully expect this trend to continue, as aircraft have to be more efficient and more cost effective to operate in the future."
With an eye to workforce, ITT Exelis is working with technical colleges and universities in the state, among them Salt Lake Community College and Davis Applied Technology College.
"The local support from Davis Applied Technology College and Salt Lake Community College has been fantastic," said Barber. "For example, DATC has created a course that fully prepares entry-level composite technicians."
