GE Aviation Breaks Ground on Jet Engine Assembly Factory in Indiana

August 5, 2014

Matthew Monaghan

Participating in the groundbreaking event at GE Aviation’s Lafayette, IN, site were (left to right) Congressman Todd Rokita; Senator Joe Donnelly; Commissioner John Knochel; Tony Aiello, Vice President & General Manager, Assembly, Test and Overhaul, GE Aviation; Governor Mike Pence; Mayor Tony Roswarski; Senator Dan Coats; and Purdue President Mitch Daniels .

GE Aviation recently hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new $100 million jet engine assembly facility in Lafayette, IN. The 225,000-ft² facility will assemble the new LEAP engine of CFM International, a 50:50 joint company of GE and Snecma (Safran) of France. Final assembly of the LEAP engine at the Lafayette facility will involve using components and subassemblies from GE and Snecma operations and from their suppliers around the world. The LEAP engine will also be assembled at GE's existing engine assembly plant in Durham, NC. The Lafayette facility will operate a highly advanced assembly line incorporating several new technologies, including automated vision inspection systems and radio frequency parts management to easily spot parts on the shop floor. To prepare for the new factory, GE will work with Ivy Tech at Lafayette and Purdue University for skills and training support.