News Release
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE OFFICIALLY OPENS FIRST PHASE OF NEW SAVANNAH SERVICE CENTER
SAVANNAH, Ga., August 30, 2007 – Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), today officially opened Phase I, the first of two phases, of its new Savannah Service Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
At the ceremony, Joe Lombardo, Gulfstream president, and Mark Burns, Gulfstream vice president of Customer Support, were accompanied by local dignitaries including Georgia State Senator Eric Johnson, Chatham County Commissioner David Gellatly and Patrick Graham, executive director of the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport.
On March 6, 2006, Gulfstream announced a 7-year, $400 million long-range expansion plan for its Savannah headquarters and business-jet manufacturing and maintenance facilities. The plan includes the new 624,588 square-foot service center, which will occupy 76.6 acres at the southwest quadrant of the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. This site is being leased from the Savannah-Hilton Head Airport Commission.
The first phase of the new center includes a 136,200 square-foot hangar building that can accommodate up to 18 large-cabin aircraft, repair shops, a fuel farm, an engine run-up area, an employee parking lot and a new cafeteria. When Phase II is completed in 2009, the aircraft hangar space used for maintenance will more than double to 282,300 square feet, making it the largest purpose-built business-jet aircraft maintenance facility of its kind.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Joe Lombardo reflected on the growth of the company and Gulfstream’s need to build a new center.
“In our old service center across the runway, we could work on up to 18 of our aircraft under roof at any one time. In 1996 that worked great. Today we’re working on up to 40 aircraft on any given day. With the unprecedented growth of our Gulfstream fleet in the past decade, we needed more space to service them,” Lombardo said.
The second phase of construction includes a second hangar building, a second engine run-up area, additional repair shops and parking spaces.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced some 1,600 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150 ®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200 ®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350 ®; the large-cabin, long-range G450 ®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500 ® and the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550 ®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales ®. The company employs more than 9,100 people at seven major locations. We invite you to visit our Web site for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 82,900 people worldwide and anticipates 2007 revenues of more than $27 billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.
