Continental Motors Investing $75 Million In Alabama Factory

The company's “Blue Marlin” project will transform its aircraft-engine manufacturing operations at the Mobile Aeroplex into an advanced manufacturing facility.

Continental Motors is investing $75 million to transform its aircraft-engine manufacturing operations at the Mobile Aeroplex in Alabama. Earlier this month, the company hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for its “Blue Marlin” project, which includes construction of an advanced manufacturing facility for the production of piston and turbine engines and parts for light aircraft.

Mobile Aeroplex
(Photo: Alabama Department of Commerce)

The new facility will be nearly 275,000 square feet, primarily dedicated to advanced engine and parts manufacturing for all Continental Motors Group product lines. It will be outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and include a special area designated for evaluation of new manufacturing techniques and processes, including additive manufacturing and automation.

“Continental Motors has been a big part of the local Mobile community for over 50 years and is pleased with the community support that allows us to renew our commitment to the region and our great team members for many years to come,” said Michael Skolnik, Continental Motors’s executive vice president of global operations. “The ‘greenfield’ facility will modernize our manufacturing processes into a world-class, high-productivity, vertically integrated center of manufacturing excellence among the aviation cluster in Mobile, Alabama, USA.”

Mobile Aeroplex
(Photo: Alabama Department of Commerce)

The “Blue Marlin” project — named for the sport fish that embodies the strength and versatility the company aims to achieve with the new factory — was first announced in March 2017. The new Alabama factory is a key step in Continental Motors’ plan to profoundly transform the company and the way its designs, manufactures, certifies, and support products. It plans to build a new customer and technical service infrastructure and environment that will allow assisting customers around the world at all times.

The new Mobile factory will be operational by 2020. The Alabama Department of Commerce, through its AIDT workforce development agency, assisted Continental Motors with the project.

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