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Mississauga-based Magellan Aerospace will go where no
company in that industry has gone before, if it succeeds
with its plans to establish the first independent processing
facility catering to the aerospace industry in India.
It's one small step for the company that could eventually
lead to a giant leap in business in an emerging market with
a huge need for aircraft, says Bill Matthews, marketing
vice-president for Magellan.
The firm has been developing a supply chain in India for
three years, focusing on finished machine parts for the
civil aviation industry. The new processing facility will
treat finished airframe parts made of aluminium, titanium
and stainless steel with chemical etching, adhesives,
anti-corrosives and other coatings.
Magellan is joining QuEST Machining and Manufacturing in a
50-50 partnership, with each investing about $1.3 million
(U.S.) in a 10,000-square-foot facility to be built
northwest of Bangalore, with the opening scheduled in 2008,
says Matthews.
QuEST employs 900 engineers in India, the U.S., Europe and
Japan.
Magellan designs, engineers and manufactures engine and
airframe assemblies and components for aerospace markets,
and advanced products for military and space markets. It's a
public company whose shares trade on the Toronto Stock
Exchange, and also has operations in the U.S. and U.K.
"We've been active in India and China, but India is more
attractive to us because the language is English, and the
people are well educated for the most part and
entrepreneurial," Matthews says.
Some analysts believe the Indian market for aircraft will
eventually exceed that of North America, currently the
largest, he says.
Source:http://www.thestar.com/Special/article/189347
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