Governor Gilmore announces 196 new jobs; $30.5 million investment
Hampton - Governor Jim Gilmore today announced the decision by Howmet Corporation, a manufacturer of turbine engine components, to expand its Hampton facility by adding 196 new employees over the next three years. Secretary of Commerce and Trade Barry E. DuVal joined Howmet executives in Hampton today to make the announcement public. The company will invest $30.5 million in the project.
Howmet's decision to expand in the City of Hampton represents a tremendous victory for the citizens of Virginia," said Governor Gilmore. "These additional new jobs will provide higher wages for the skilled workers of Hampton."
Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, Howmet Corporation is a subsidiary of Cordant Technologies Inc. Howmet operates 28 manufacturing facilities employing 10,000 people in France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The company is a world leader in the investment-casting of superalloys and titanium for jet aircraft and industrial gas turbine engine components. Investment casting is an economical process for producing metal parts in complex shapes and in greater precision than forging. The existing Hampton facility currently employs nearly 1,200 people.
"We are delighted to expand our operation in Hampton, Virginia," said Larry Corliss, General Manager of Howmet's Hampton facility. "We have been extremely successful here, and we anticipate future growth in this positive pro-business climate."
"I am pleased to announce on behalf of Governor Gilmore that a Governor's Opportunity Fund worth $200,000 has been approved to assist the City of Hampton with site preparation.," said Secretary DuVal. "Howmet's increased presence in Virginia will add a greater dimension to the state's high-tech manufacturing sector."
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the City of Hampton and the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council assisted Howmet with its decision. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide workforce training services.
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