Aerospace firm plans to add 159 engineering jobs 1.27.11

Aerospace firm plans to add 159 engineering jobs
IBJ Staff

Aero Engine Controls plans to expand its operations near Indianapolis International Airport by adding as many as 159 jobs over the next two years.

State officials announced the expansion plans Thursday morning.

Indiana Economic Development Corp. offered the aerospace engineering firm up to $2.9 million in performance-based tax credits based on the company’s job-creation plans.

Aero Engine Controls, based in the United Kingdom, is a joint venture established in 2009 by British firm Rolls-Royce Corp. and Charlotte, N.C.-based Goodrich Corp. It designs engine control systems for aircraft ranging from helicopters to large commercial and military airplanes.

Rolls-Royce, an aircraft engine-maker, has more than 4,000 employees in Indianapolis.

Aero Engine Controls established its engineering services operation near the airport 15 months ago and plans to make capital investments as it expands its customer base. The amount of the company's investment was not immediately clear.

The company has nearly 100 employees and plans to continue hiring entry-level and experienced engineers, many of whom will be graduates of Indiana colleges and universities, according to a news release announcing the new jobs.

Purdue University and IUPUI have partnered with Aero Engine Controls to explore business opportunities and to develop mutually beneficial design projects.

“A critical part of the Aero Engine Controls strategy was to establish a significant presence in North America,” company CEO Denny Warner said in a prepared statement. “Indiana’s central location and pro-business environment are hugely attractive and give us direct access to both a skilled work force and a consistently high caliber of graduates from the state universities.”
 
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