Cessna and its parent company, Textron, opened Textron Aerospace de Mexico in Chihuahua.

Ron Alberti is Cessna's senior vice president of integrated supply chain.

   Cessna, the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation planes, is experiencing rapid growth. To accommodate that growth, Cessna and its parent company Textron opened a facility in Chihuahua following a worldwide site search.
   The new 62,000- sq.- ft. (5,800- sq.- m.) facility frees up space at Cessna's plant in Wichita, Kan. That space is needed as the company adds new models to its line in the coming years.
   "As we looked at it, we thought we needed to find additional outlets for our production" says Ron Alberti, Cessna's senior vice president of integrated supply chain. "We looked globally, did a tour of Eastern Europe, the Far East, Brazil and Mexico. As we went through our evaluation, it became apparent that a Cessna site in Mexico was the way for us to go. When we got to that point, we didn't look at Mexico from an outsourcing standpoint. There is not a supply base there for pure outsourcing of our products, so we chose to do it ourselves."
   However, Alberti says there is "a work force we can tap into." Chihuahua's good technical colleges were another attraction, as was the area's quality of life.
   "We wanted to be comfortable in sending expats to find a nice place to live and the right quality of life," Alberti says.
   Cessna and Textron worked with American Industries, a Chihuahua shelter firm, to find a location in an industrial park. After six months of renovation, Cessna moved in in February.
   Alberti says the operation, still in a growth mode, will likely expand to 180,000 sq. ft. (16,700 sq. m.) over the next few years. The current building will likely house 200 employees, and that number will eventually grow to 500 as space is added, he says.
   "We're calling the operation Textron Aerospace de Mexico and there's a reason for that," Alberti says. "We want to set it up so that other Textron divisions can move work there."
   The Chihuahua operation is producing wire harnesses for Cessna's Citation 10, a $20- million business jet, and may eventually expand into other areas.
   "The labor force is outstanding and highly motivated," Alberti says.