COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — Cessna Aircraft plans to add up to 150 jobs and spend as much as $24 million to expand its presence in Georgia over the next five years, the company said Wednesday.
The announcement came as Cessna, a Wichita, Kan.-based airplane manufacturer, broke ground on a 100,000 square foot facility in the west-Georgia town of Columbus. The complex, which is expected to be completed by 2008, will produce aircraft parts and house a metal bonding shop.
''When we came to Columbus in 1996, there were about 70 employees here, and now there are almost 600,'' said Ron Alberti, a Cessna senior vice president. ''The strength of the work force and the business climate in Muscogee County provides a terrific environment in which to grow our business, and we expect strong job growth as our business grows.''
Gov. Sonny Perdue said the move is a signal that ''Georgia is a true power in the aerospace industry.''
''Our talented work force and good business climate present distinct advantages in this target industry,'' he said.
Cessna Aircraft is a unit of Textron Inc., based in Providence, R.I.