Goodrich Aerospace to Maintain Significant Employment at Foley
 

4/3/02

Foley, AL - Senator Jeff Sessions, Foley Mayor Tim Russell together announced today that Goodrich Aerospace is in the process of successfully consolidating its OEM and MRO Operations in Foley and intends to sustain its present employee level. Goodrich had intended to reduce the workforce by over 300 employees which would have dropped the facility's employment level to about 225 employees. Due to the combined efforts of Senator Jeff Sessions, Congressman Sonny Callahan, Senator Richard Shelby, the Alabama Development Office, Mayor Tim Russell and the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance (BCEDA), Goodrich Aerospace will retain its present employment in original equipment manufacturing and maintenance and repair of nacelle aircraft components at its 400,000 sq. ft., 160 acre facility near the Foley Municipal Airport. "There will still be some workforce reduction; but the majority of the employees will retain their jobs," noted an informed Goodrich source.

"This is terrific news for the employees at Goodrich and for the City of Foley!" noted Senator Sessions, "I salute Mayor Russell for his leadership and am so delighted that Goodrich officials have made this decision. After my recent visit to the Foley facility, I felt strongly that this high tech company needs to stay in Baldwin County and was glad to contribute to the effort." Foley Mayor Tim Russell, the Congressional delegation, and BCEDA worked diligently and closely with Goodrich officials over the past few months to persuade the Company to retain and save as many jobs as possible in Foley. Some reasons cited for Goodrich's decision in retaining the jobs in Foley include: strategic location, exceptionally trained, high tech workforce, "pro-business" climate, and responsive and local governments in Foley and Baldwin County.

"This is the kind of high tech company that we need, will maintain and attempt to grow and is so important to the City of Foley, Baldwin County, and the State of Alabama," noted Tim Russell, Mayor of Foley. "This has been a true team effort and I want to thank Senator Sessions, Congressman Callahan, Senator Shelby, the Alabama Development Office, Lance LaCour and Beth Cameron of the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance, and Donna Watts of the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce for their hard work on this important project. Without these efforts we would not be making this announcement of good news for the employees at Goodrich and for the City of Foley."