Kaiser Aluminum on August 22 announced the signing of an agreement with Eclipse Aviation Corporation to supply aluminum fabricated products for use in the production of the Eclipse 500 revolutionary very light jet (VLJ). The multi-year agreement calls for Kaiser Aluminum to be the primary provider of aluminum plate and sheet products commencing in calendar year 2007 for the 2,500 Eclipse 500 jets currently on order.
"Kaiser Aluminum has long been a preferred supplier of high quality aluminum products to aerospace companies around the world," said Jack A. Hockema, chairman, president and CEO, Kaiser Aluminum. "The previously announced $105 million expansion of Trentwood's plate capacity and capability enables us to provide the broad range of products required by Eclipse.
"While Kaiser is participating in the growth of the commercial airliner segment, this new relationship with Eclipse Aviation represents a tremendous opportunity in a newly emerging aerospace segment.”
Through the use of advanced avionics, new manufacturing techniques and innovative applications of digital information technology, Eclipse Aviation is building next-generation aircraft for the general and commercial aviation markets. These aircraft, manufactured in a state-of-the-art, high-volume production system, cost about a third of today's small jet aircraft, will be significantly safer and easier to operate than those of today, and have the lowest cost of ownership ever achieved in a jet aircraft.
"Securing aluminum in a market in which there has been record levels of demand, constrained supply and price increases is a significant challenge," said Eclipse Aviation president and CEO Vern Raburn. "This contract with Kaiser demonstrates that we are committed to securing our raw materials requirements while managing raw material costs in anticipation of long-term production. We look forward to Kaiser being our partner in this effort."
