STUTTGART, Germany—Trelleborg Sealing Solutions plans to construct a plant in Conde sur Noireau, France, to manufacture seals and elastomeric components for the aerospace industry.
The Trelleborg A.B. business is replacing an existing facility with the new factory, which will span about 37,000 square feet, according to a company spokeswoman. The project should cost about $6.8 million.
Construction is expected to begin in the last two weeks of October and be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014, said Michel Prouff, director of global marketing aerospace and president of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in France.
Trelleborg needed to replace the old site in Conde sur Noireau to ensure continuous improvement of its operation, the spokeswoman said. The company "is always challenging itself to manufacture its components more efficiently and effectively and invest heavily in the latest manufacturing technologies."
It also meets the latest Trelleborg and aerospace criteria in terms of quality and security, she said, and the factory is being designed with lean manufacturing principles in mind.
Some machinery will be replaced at the new factory. "This is either directly linked to this project (or) part of the normal replacement process done to sustain growth and long-term production efficiency," the spokeswoman said.
A work force of about 100 will transfer to the new site.
"The size of the building has been defined on current aerospace growth assumptions and there is an opportunity to grow the work force when the growth occurs," she said.
Stuttgart-headquartered Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has produced seals and airframe components for the aerospace industry for more than 50 years.
The Conde sur Noireau plant is critical in the development of aerospace products, she said, and as part of the firm's global manufacturing network supports Trelleborg's global and local strategy.
Demand for high-performance sealing products is favorable in the aerospace industry, said Claus Barsoe, business area president of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions.
"This facility will be an effective resource for our existing and future aerospace customers," he said. "The choice to keep aerospace manufacturing in France shows Trelleborg's commitment to the aviation industry within the country."