David Anderson Staff Writer Kinston Free Press Nearly two years after Spirit AeroSystems opened its doors in Kinston, the first glimmer of what state and local officials call an “aerospace cluster” can be seen in the form of CrateTech Inc. “I think what you’re seeing now is, hopefully, the beginning stages of what could be some pretty significant growth,” company President Ray Fricks said Tuesday. CrateTech Inc. was founded in the Seattle area in 1993 by Fricks and his wife Cherie. The company, which also has offices in Chicago and Wichita, Kan. — where Spirit is headquartered — specializes in…
GTP
David Anderson Staff Writer Kinston Free Press Next week, the final four roads which the Global TransPark rail spur needs to cross will be closed. The N.C. Department of Transportation will close John Mewborne Road near Rouse Road Extension on Monday; then Rouse Road Extension near John Mewborne on Tuesday; Rouse Road near C.F. Harvey Parkway on Wednesday and AeroSystems Boulevard — the access road to Spirit AeroSystems’ plant at the GTP — will close Thursday. Each road will be closed for a day, according to news releases from DOT; detours will be available for drivers. Transportation officials have closed…
David Anderson Staff Writer, Kinston Free Press Officials with Spirit AeroSystems spent Friday preparing to send out a major shipment from Kinston on what has been described as the world’s largest cargo aircraft. Executives with the Wichita, Kan.-based aircraft component manufacturer — which operates manufacturing plants around the world, including at the N.C. Global TransPark in Kinston — expected the Kinston-built fuselage panels to depart on the Antonov An-124 cargo jet this weekend. The Russian-built jet landed at the Kinston Regional JetPort on Thursday, and was the subject of local curiosity Thursday and Friday. “There have been some people in…
Wesley Brown, Staff Writer Kinston Free Press July 20, 2011 Spirit AeroSystems will expand its workforce in Kinston by 150 to 200 employees over the next five years as company executives announced Tuesday plans to introduce a new product line at the N.C. Global TransPark. The independent supplier of commercial airplane manufacturers — one of the largest in the world — will establish production for the Gulfstream G250 wing at the state industrial site, according to Gov. Bev Perdue. Perdue said in a telephone interview with The Free Press Tuesday that officials decided against making the announcement part of a…
David Anderson Staff Writer – Kinston Free Press July 12, 2010 A New York State-based logistics firm is expected to bring up to 40 more jobs to the Global TransPark in the coming years. Officials of Schenker Logistics Inc., a logistics firm headquartered in Freeport, N.Y., signed a five-year renewable lease for half of an existing warehouse at the GTP, the Global TransPark Authority announced Monday. Schenker Logistics is a subsidiary of the international firm D.B. Schenker, which provides warehousing, transportation, manufacturing support and other services. “D.B. Schenker’s arrival at the GTP signals the continuing impact of Spirit’s opening, as…
The Free Press Subsidiary to expand private business jet operations January 21, 2010 Delta AirElite, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, announced the purchase of Kinston-based Segrave Aviation late Wednesday afternoon. The all-cash transaction will double the size of the Delta AirElite fleet. A press release did not reveal what Delta paid for Segrave. The company hopes to improve Web-based booking and the travel experience for fleet membership card and charter customers. The transaction is subject to approval by regulatory authorities and customary closing conditions. “This is an excellent opportunity to couple Delta AirElite’s award-winning product and scheduling flexibility…
David Anderson Staff Writer November 13, 2009 Federal funds have been set aside for upgrades to the aircraft landing guidance system at Kinston’s airport. U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., announced Friday that at least $500,000 has been earmarked to help defray the estimated $3.8 million cost of upgrading the Kinston Regional JetPort’s Instrument Landing System from a Category II to a Category III. “What that means for us is virtually any type of aircraft will be able to land on this runway in virtually any type of weather,” Darlene Waddell, the GTP’s executive director, said during the announcement at the…
August 8, 2007 KINSTON, N.C.—North Carolina Governor Mike Easley today announced that Commerce Overseas Corporation (COC), a leading military aviation parts manufacturer and supplier, will move its headquarters from California to the North Carolina Global TransPark (GTP). The move will also include a warehouse, distribution center and manufacturing facility. Presently headquartered in Tustin, Calif., COC will create 72 new jobs with above average salaries and benefits. Investment in this project is expected to exceed $4.3 million over the next three years. Established in 1967, COC manufactures and supplies aerospace parts for U.S military aircraft operating in more than 50 countries…
May 25, 2007 KINSTON, N.C.—After successfully passing another elimination round, Insight Racing and N.C. State University’s College of Engineering displayed its computer-driven Lotus Elise today at the TransPark Center. This vehicle is targeted to compete in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge on November 3, 2007. DARPA created the Grand Challenge events to advance unmanned vehicle driving technology more rapidly, answering a congressional mandate to convert one-third of military vehicles to driverless, computer-driven mode by 2015. On May 10, the Insight Racing team was informed that its vehicle continues to be a candidate for inclusion in the…
September 6, 2006 Kinston , NC —Low-cost airline Allegiant Air, LLC announces today new, nonstop jet service to the fun and sun of Orlando , Fla. from Kinston , N.C. beginning Nov 10. The low-fare carrier will celebrate the convenient new service to the Sunshine State , with introductory fares as low as $49 each way, when booked at www.allegiantair.com . The self-proclaimed “Official Airline for Sunshine” will launch the new scheduled service from Kinston Regional Jetport to Orlando Sanford International Airport with complete vacation packages including roundtrip air and three-night hotel stay for as low as $167. (Price is…