MHIRJ Celebrates its Expansion in West Virginia Service Center

• MHIRJ adds approximately 100,000 total sqft of space to its existing hangars
• Ceremony will include the unveiling of a mockup
• The new expansion should conclude construction and be operational in roughly 18 months

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va., June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ) celebrated the expansion of its MRO hangars today at its Bridgeport location in West Virginia, through a groundbreaking ceremony for the new space. MHIRJ invested $20M, signing a contract on May 27 of this year, to add 100,000 square feet of space to its hangars. Construction is expected to be finalized and the expansion operational in roughly eighteen months.

Many dignitaries such as Governor Jim Justice, Senator Michael Romano, representatives of Senator Manchin, Senator Capito and Representative McKinley, David Hinckle, Harrison County Commissioner, and Sean Hill, Director, West Virginia Aeronautics Commission, Department of Transport attended the event. MHIRJ Executives and several hundred shop floor employees were also present at the ceremony. The groundbreaking ceremony also included the unveiling of the site expansion mockup. 

"This is a significant milestone for MHIRJ as it reinforces the growth of our business. As the largest MRO serving the CRJ Series platform, we aim at creating continued value for our customers by exploring opportunities that will allow us to elevate our service offering, diversify our capabilities and expand our infrastructure," said Ismail Mokabel, Senior Vice President, Head of Aftermarket.

"Today's launch of MHIRJ's site expansion at North Central Regional Airport is truly exciting and again proves that West Virginia is the best place to grow a business," Governor Jim Justice said. "When a company is able to keep growing as MHIRJ has done over the past couple years – adding hundreds of new jobs, expanding its operations, and building out its facilities – it's the sign of great company leadership and puts a spotlight on the profitable business environment we have built in West Virginia. The economic ripple effects of this continued growth are going to bring all kinds of goodness to north central West Virginia, and I could not be prouder that MHIRJ continues to deepen its roots in our great state."

"Mitsubishi's expansion at the North Central Regional Airport Aerotech Business Park is another round of fantastic news for the North Central Regional Airport and our entire state," said Senator Manchin. "Work to expand Mitsubishi's hangars will begin soon and will create more than 300 new jobs in the process. I applaud everyone who has worked hard to ensure this process was completed quickly. I am excited for Mitsubishi's investment in the new Aerotech Business Park and the growth it will bring for our regional economy and workforce."

"Today's announcement of further investment by Mitsubishi in West Virginia means more jobs and more growth for our state," Senator Capito said. "The local leadership of the Benedum Airport Authority, particularly Airport Director Rick Rock, Commissioner David Hinkle, and Mayor Andy Lang, has been steadfast in their dedication to growing the aerospace economy in north central West Virginia, and I appreciate their efforts in helping make this happen. Today marks another milestone in this strong partnership that will continue to drive economic growth and commercial investments for years to come."

"Having MHIRJ with us at the airport is something we are immensely proud of. This expansion is significant for the region; it means more jobs, a wave of opportunity for development for CKB and MHIRJ that both will be able to ride on. We look forward to maintaining and evolving this partnership for many years to come," said Rick Rock, Director of the North Central West Virginia Airport.

At the moment, MHIRJ's combined Service Centers can offer maintenance to up to thirty aircraft simultaneously, making MHIRJ's Regional MRO infrastructure the biggest in the world. This expansion comes in concert with other initiatives on MHIRJ's side, such expanding Component Repair Capabilities, diversifying MRO activities to other aircraft types and launching a consulting service (MHIRJ Aero Advisory Services) and projects to expand MRO activities once again to other aircraft types after 2023. 

About MHI RJ Aviation Group
MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ) provides comprehensive critical operational, engineering and customer support solutions including maintenance, refurbishment, technical publications, marketing and sales activities for the global regional aircraft industry. Headquartered in Montréal, Canada, and bolstered by an Aerospace Engineering Centre, MHIRJ's network of service centres, support offices and parts depots are positioned in important aviation hubs in the U.S., Canada and Germany. MHI RJ Aviation Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.

For more information about MHI RJ Aviation Group, please visit: www.mhirj.com  

About MHI
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), headquartered in Tokyo, is one of the world's leading industrial firms with 80,000 group employees and annual consolidated revenues of around US$38 billion. For more than 130 years, the company has channeled big thinking into innovative and integrated solutions that move the world forward. MHI owns a unique business portfolio covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI delivers innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries from commercial aviation and transportation to power plants and gas turbines, and from machinery and infrastructure to integrated defense and space systems.

For more information, please visit MHI's website: www.mhi.com/index.html

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SOURCE MHI RJ Aviation Group