Nordam Group signs $100M agreement with Gulfstream Aerospace

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Apr 23, 2008 by Heather Caliendo

The Nordam Group has signed two separate agreements with Gulfstream Aerospace, with one valued at $100 million, officials said Tuesday.

The Interiors and Structures Division of Nordam will provide composite wing-to-body fairing and main landing gear doors for Gulfstream's new G650 ultra-long-range business jet. Officials said the $100 million agreement includes design, certification and manufacture.

Terry Gray, vice president and general manager of the Interiors and Structures Division, said for Nordam this is the first significant production contract for large graphite composite structure.

"It's a very important point in our development as a division and a company," he said. "We see it as an opportunity to extend ourselves to other graphite composite structures as well."

Gray said they are currently in the design development phase, and the work will be conducted in Tulsa.

Last year, Nordam delivered over 50,000 composite and bonding parts to Gulfstream, according to a press release.

John Calvert, account director for Nordam, said since last summer Nordam and Gulfstream have worked together to develop a comprehensive statement of work and program plan for the fairing package. Nordam will deliver the components trimmed, drilled and ready for installation on the production line, according to the release.

Calvert said the agreement came about due to Nordam's long- standing relationship with Gulfstream, which goes back to the '90s.

The other agreement with Gulfstream involves the Transparency Division of Nordam, which will provide the acrylic wing tip navigation light lens for the G350 and G450 large cabin business jets.

Calvert said this marks the first time they will build the lens directly for Gulfstream. Both agreements do not have a set time frame on how long they will last.

"For the wing body framing and gear, the life of the program will be however long the aircraft is in production," he said. "The wing tip license purchase agreement is not set per se, it is a purchase order agreement and we anticipate making those as long as they make the G350."