Spirit AeroSystems, the world’s largest aero structures manufacturer, designs and builds airplanes for both commercial and defensive customers. The IBEW makes up a strong part of their employee work force, so they are dependent on them to get the planes out the door.
Arlene Sokolowski, Director of Labor Relations, Spirit AeroSystems said, “Our main clients are Boeing and Airbus, so most of the commercial airplanes that you fly on we build. Our primary plane is the 737, but we also build the 787 and 767. We have approximately 10,000 employees here, so the IBEW is a strong part of that employee work force.”
Their success largely relies on their high volume production capabilities of fuselages, pylons, and wing components. That’s why they rely on members ofIBEW Local 271 to ensure that production factories power is always running and is always up for the task.
Randy Megli, IBEW Local 271, Spirit AeroSystems, “If a machine quits, we’re there to fix it. We maintain it, we do preventative maintenance as well as the reactive maintenance on the backside.”
IBEW Local 271 and Spirit AeroSystems have a relationship that goes back for several generations.
Russell Kennedy, Business Manager, IBEW Local 271 said, “The skill of our members and the technical expertise they bring is what has built a strong relationship.”
What makes Spirit AeroSystems such a unique place for the IBEW to work is the varieties of tasks they perform. These things include heat treat, drilling operations composite layup, cutting milling machines, and more.
Randy Megli, IBEW Local 271, Spirit AeroSystems said, “Spirit is the place to go. If you want cutting edge technology this is the place to be. Anything from heat treat to drilling operations composite layup, cutting milling machines, it’s all here.”
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