Netherlands aerostructures specialist Stork Aerospace is shifting low-skill manufacturing work to Romania under a deal with Aerostar. The Romanian company, which produces the Iak-52 trainer as well as upgrades for the Mikoyan MiG-21 and RSK MiG-29 fighters, will perform sheetmetal work for Stork, which will use them in assemblies for Cessna tail sections and Airbus centre fuselage sections. "The plant is already overcrowded. Now we can choose what work to shift," the Dutch company says.
The deal was arranged by Senter, the Netherlands government agency responsible for encouraging industrial co-operation between Dutch and foreign companies. Senter is supporting the deal, Stork says, but the company refuses to reveal the financial details. As it stands, the Stork deal will represent only 1% of Aerostar's business, which generated sales of g20 million ($22 million) last year, and "at the moment no other activities could be exported", Stork says.
Source: Flight International
