Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC), a business unit of Pratt & Whitney, has announced a US$10 million investment to expand the capabilities of its Wichita Falls, Texas, engine component repair facility, which is expected to create 30 new jobs. As part of the investment, the company will modify its existing coatings line using an innovative application process.
“The Wichita Falls component repair facility joined the Pratt & Whitney Canada family in 1997 and since then we have strengthened our ties with the local community,” said Irene Makris, Vice President, Customer Service, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “We continue to invest and grow in Wichita Falls because of the strength of the local workforce, the support of the community, and the enthusiastic ‘can do’ attitude of our Wichita Falls team and leadership. Our Wichita Falls facility will be the first of our plants to pioneer a new coating process which will significantly improve the durability and performance of our engines.”
The facility repairs the “hot” (combustion) sections of a variety of Pratt & Whitney Canada engines. As part of the repair process, certain engine parts, such as turbine blades, are given a special coating that protects against the high temperatures needed for these high-performance engines. The investment is to create a line that uses a newly developed coating technique.
Pratt & Whitney Canada designs, builds and maintains engines for a variety of missions and purposes, from general aviation enthusiasts to life-saving air medical and rescue operations. This year, Pratt & Whitney Canada is celebrating achieving 1 billion operating hours since it was founded in 1928. Pratt & Whitney Canada has produced more than 110,000 engines, and 66,000 engines are currently in operation throughout the world.
Construction will begin before mid-2023 and is expected to be completed by early 2025.
