CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS
Agreement will establish Snecma Group unit as major supplier to US manufacturer
Snecma Group company Labinal has bought the electrical wiring activities of Texas-based Boeing Corinth, which produces around 39% of the wiring for the US manufacturer's commercial aircraft. Snecma chief executive Jean-Paul B‚chat says the move underscores the two companies' "ongoing drive to further develop our solid, long-term relationship".
Under the deal, part of Boeing's strategy of concentrating on large-scale systems integration, the Chicago-based company has signed a long-term, single-source supply agreement with Labinal.
The acquisition remains subject to US government approval. The Boeing Guidance Repair Center, also at the Corinth site and part of Boeing's Integrated Defence Systems group, is not included, but the electrical wiring business also supplies Boeing's current and out-of-production military aircraft programmes, including the V-22, B-1B, F-22, KC-135 and B-52.
Jean-Claude Lepage, Labinal's chief executive, says the purchase gives his company "the opportunity to reinforce its existing strong links with Boeing and to consolidate its leading position" in electrical wiring for civil and military aircraft. The Corinth plant will become part of Labinal and be known as Labinal Corinth.
Labinal has been supplying wiring to Boeing since 1995, starting with the 717 produced at Long Beach, and the 767 in Seattle since 1998. It has made wiring harnesses for all of Boeing's commercial models since 2001.
Source: Flight International
