Aerospace manufacturer The Whitcraft Group (Eastford, CT) has acquired high-tech production facilities in Arizona and Maine following a deal with fellow aeroparts supplier LAI International. Whitcraft paid an undisclosed sum to assume control of two LAI operations in Scarborough, ME, and a third plant in Tempe, AZ. The facilities, which specialize in advanced manufacturing techniques including laser cutting, electrical discharge machining, and precision machining, will operate as divisions of Whitcraft under the names Whitcraft Scarborough and Whitcraft Tempe, respectively.
The transaction is expected to deepen the company’s expanding portfolio while bringing onboard highly trained workers with a "reputation for excellence throughout the aircraft industry," according to Doug Folsom, CEO of The Whitcraft Group.
The purchase comes three months after Whitcraft made the plunge into 3D printing with the acquisition of Form 3D Solutions (Dover, NH), which uses additive manufacturing techniques to develop and produce titanium and nickel alloy parts.
Whitcraft, formed in 1998, makes specialty sheet metal, flight safety mechanisms, high-precision machined engine components, and other products for clients. Key projects include Pratt’s high-bypass geared turbofan engine, GE's CFM International LEAP engine, Sikorsky’s Black Hawk utility helicopter, and the Joint Strike Fighter program, which oversees production of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet for an international consortium headed by the U.S. Defense Department.
Editor's note: ILS first reported on a visit to Whitcraft in 2004.
For more information, please visit whitcraftgroup.com and laico.com.