Composites Atlantic in the News
Lunenburg firm cheers as ultra-light jet takes flight
Composites Atlantic makes components for carbon-fibre Boeing 787 Dreamliner
By BILL POWER Business Reporter, thechronicleherald.ca
There were lots of happy people in Lunenburg on Wednesday when Boeing Co.’s new 787 Dreamliner made its first landing in Japan.
"The fact the 787 has made its first delivery is good news for all companies involved in the program," Claude Baril, acting president and chief executive officer of Composites Atlantic Ltd., said in an interview.
The arrival of the ultra-light jet into the marketplace is injecting some optimism into the entire international aerospace industry, which took a beating in the recession that started in 2008 and continues to struggle to achieve pre-recession levels of profitability.
Baril was brought in by the parent company, EADS Sogerma, in August to replace retiring CEO Maurice Guitton, who started the Lunenburg business about 23 years ago with 10 workers. It was Guitton who inked a deal with Boeing to provide custom-fabricated components for new aircraft, and since the launch of the 787 Dreamliner, officials with the Lunenberg operation, which employs about 325 people, have been subdued about the details of the contract with Boeing. Over the years, however, Guitton said at various times the fortunes of Composites Atlantic were linked to the success of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The new jet’s development program was delayed on several occasions for a variety of reasons. Guitton was unavailable for comment Wednesday. The new aircraft is made mostly of carbon fibre and can travel farther than its predecessor, the all-metal Boeing 767, while consuming about half the fuel.
"There is a lot of excitement in the industry about the entry of the Dreamliner into the market and it is no secret that we are associated with this program," said Baril. "Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to discuss specific details." Composites Atlantic specializes in the design, manufacture and maintenance of complex composite structures for the aeronautics, defence, space and energy markets. It is a subsidiary of EADS Sogerma and part of EADS Group (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.). Baril said Composites Atlantic continues to have a bright future in Lunenburg, even though the company has been affected by economics conditions in Europe.
"We know the major airlines will replace stock in the coming years and this will be good for Composites Atlantic."
Composites Atlantic received $1.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund — through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency — to advance some existing technologies "to create a cost-efficient, hollow-core, all-composite strut for the airline industry." The new strut was to provide a weight saving of 40 per cent and offer customers a higher-quality product, stated a 2010 news release from ACOA. Boeing Canada officials did not respond to inquiries about which component of the Dreamliner was fabricated in Lunenburg.
