Contact Information

  • Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gregoire opens Washington exhibit at Farnborough Air Show, helps announce major expansion by Umbra Cuscinetti, Aerojet

For Immediate Release: July 9, 2012

LONDON � Gov. Chris Gregoire today, joined by leaders in the state�s aerospace industry, opened the Washington exhibit at the Farnborough Air Show, one of the largest worldwide events dedicated to the aviation industry. While at the show, Gregoire will meet with dozens of executives from major aerospace companies to encourage them to partner with our state�s 740 aerospace supply companies � ensuring this critical industry continues to expand in Washington state.

�We know there is no stronger center for aerospace than what we have in Washington state,� Gregoire said. �We have to make sure the rest of the world knows that. The back-to-back meetings that I will have over the next couple of days will ensure that global companies know the value and advantages of doing business in our state. That�s what we need to ensure the aerospace industry continues to grow here, and provide good, living-wage jobs.�

Gregoire�s first day at the Farnborough Air Show included meetings with executives from Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Raytheon and Safran to discuss possible expansion opportunities in Washington state.

Gregoire also met with executives at Aerojet, who informed the governor that the company will be expanding its space rocket engine business into Europe. The company already employs 450 high tech workers at its Redmond offices. The new European venture is expected to provide key subcontracted work for its facility in Redmond, providing not only revenue growth but job growth for the region.

Additionally, Gregoire helped announce a major expansion by aerospace supplier UMBRA Cuscinetti, Inc. The company announced today it would relocate its Everett offices to a larger 68,000 square foot facility that supports the addition of research and development and design engineering capabilities. The expansion will help the company add more than 100 employees in Snohomish County.

�Today�s announcement is a testament to the UMBRA Group�s commitment to Washington state, and it�s desire to grow and expand here,� Gregoire said. �I congratulate UMBRA Group on their continued success that is driving this welcome expansion. We�ve pushed to enhance our business climate, invested in aerospace and advanced manufacturing training programs, and we�ve made critical improvements to our infrastructure. As a result, our aerospace industry is attracting and supporting growth by businesses from around the world. We are very proud that UMBRA is part of our success story.�

�I�m very pleased with the performance of our company in the United States division,� said Valter Badaccini, UMBRA Group President. �We are delighted to invest capital and acquire additional human resources in the Everett, Washington area that will enable us to meet the challenges of the ever-changing global markets.�

Gregoire today also joined executives with Dassault Syst�mes, who signed an agreement with the Washington Board for Community and Technical Colleges. The agreement was facilitated by the Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Materials Manufacturing at Everett Community College, and will make CATIA, Dassault Syst�mes� computer-aided design (CAD) program, available to the state�s two-year colleges at a deeply discounted price. The agreement will allow thousands more students to train on the cutting-edge software required by Boeing and other aerospace employers. Dassault Syst�mes� has agreed to sell 1,200 educational-use licenses of the 3D training software to the state board.

Dassault Syst�mes is a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management solutions with offices across the world. Last year at the Paris Air Show, following a face-to-face meeting with Gregoire, the company announced it was signing a lease for 11,000 square feet of space in the West Lake Union Center to help bolster its United States west coast operations. The company provides services to Northwest giants like Boeing, REI, Fred Meyer and PACCAR.

�Now CATIA is going to be available to every community and technical college in Washington, including those that were previously unable to afford it,� said Mary Kaye Bredeson, executive director of the Center of Excellence. �It�s an important tool to prepare students for high-skill, high-wage jobs in aerospace.�

�Our community and technical colleges are knowledge-producers for the aerospace industry,� said Charlie Earl, executive director of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. �This agreement means more students can take what they learn in the classroom directly into the workplace, without the need for extensive, on-the-job training.�

�We commend the state of Washington for embarking on such an ambitious education program,� said Philippe Forestier, Dassault Syst�mes Executive Vice-President of Global Affairs and Communities. �This is the first such statewide agreement in the United States, illustrating incredible commitment on their part to developing the most technically proficient aerospace workforce in the world, and we are proud to play a major role in this initiative.�

�Many thanks to Dassault and congratulations to the State Board for securing this agreement,� said Commerce Director Rogers Weed. �Software increasingly drives every industry in our economy and CATIA is a market leader and indispensable program for industries like aerospace that rely on sophisticated engineering. Commerce is pleased to see a software leader like Dassault supporting our state�s workforce training system.�

More than 50 aerospace companies and several aerospace consortiums representing more than 200 Washington aerospace businesses are exhibiting at the Air Show highlighting Washington state, including our world-class aerospace training programs, its more than 700 aerospace companies, and its more than 92,000 highly-skilled aerospace workers.

Visit Gregoire�s online travel journal that includes travel notes from the governor and the rest of the delegation, the itinerary and photos of the trade mission. Access the travel journal by following the link on her homepage: www.governor.wa.gov.

# # #