SK10 inaugurates second unit in the country to cater to Embraer
Valor Econômico
SK10, of the Spanish group Alestis Aerospace, inaugurates today, in São Jose dos Campos, the second unit of the company in Brazil and the only ones of the company outside of Spain. In the first unit, inaugurated in October/2007, the Spanish group invested US$ 50 million and hired 150 employees for the assembling of metallic structures of the fuselage of the jets of the 170/190 Embraer family.
The new unit, located beside the main plant of Embraer, will produce structural parts and components in composite material, mainly using fiberglass and carbon fiber. The Alestis group is 70% controlled by the government of Andalucía, in Spain, and the rest is owned by the banks Cajasol, Unicaja and the European Investment Bank.
The company did not disclose the value of the investment, but according to secretary of Economic Development of the municipal administration of São Jose dos Campos, Jose de Mello Correa, the enlargement of the facilities has already resulted in the hiring of 150 employees. Besides supplying Embraer, according to Correa, SK10 will also be a export platform for companies of the international aeronautical sector, such as Airbus, and EADS-CASA, of Spain, which are already clients of the Alestis group.
Another foreign company that already has advanced plans for the setting up of a unit in São Jose dos Campos is the French Daher-Socata, which already supplies structural parts for the executive jets of Embraer. According to an executive who is taking part in the negotiations with Embraer, only the nearly 800 firm orders of the Phenom already sustain the beginning of the activities of the company in Brazil. "The nearness with the client, which reduces the cycles of supply of materials, and the competitive costs of the country also justify the investment", he affirms.
Besides the two SK10 units, São José dos Campos also shelters units of the Spanish Aernnova, former Gamesa (fuselage); Sopeçaero, of the Belgian company Sobraer (machined components); JetStar, controlled by American capital (aircraft interiors); and the American Eviation (engineering projects). Together, they generated 642 direct jobs and invested more than R$ 150 million (US$ 77.7 million) in the last three years. This amount does not include the new investment of SK10. In the municipality of Jacareí, 20 kilometers from São José dos Campos are the companies L'tecoére (fuselage) and the Americans C&D Interiors and Parker Hannifin (hydraulic systems, flight command and fuel).