Alliant aims to triple sales of composites

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Aug 7, 2007 | by Bloomberg News

Alliant Techsystems Inc., a maker of rocket motors for the U.S. space shuttle fleet, aims to triple sales of light-weight composite materials by winning parts orders for new commercial aircraft.

The company, which has 4,585 employees in Utah at seven facilities, wants to post $1 billion in composites sales within five to 10 years, Chief Financial Officer John Shroyer said Monday in an interview.

Alliant, which is based in Edina, Minn., forecasts sales of about $250 million to $300 million this year.

Composite materials are used in place of aluminum to reduce the weight of an aircraft, and Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner will be the world's first mostly composite commercial airplane. Alliant is seeking to supply the materials to Boeing, the world's second- biggest commercial airplane maker, and its larger rival Airbus SAS, Shroyer said.

"Commercial aerospace is going to be huge for this company," Shroyer, 44, said in an interview in Boston. "With fuel costs going up, there is going to continue to be a need for light-weight, fuel- efficient materials."

The Dreamliner will use 20 percent less fuel per passenger because of the use of composites. Boeing, based in Chicago, has already selected composite suppliers for the 787, and Alliant's aim is to be a secondary provider to those subcontractors, Shroyer said. The 787, which will be more than 50 percent composite by weight, is scheduled for first delivery in May.

In the past two months Alliant has performed a "capability review" with Boeing and met with most of its primary composites suppliers, he said. Work for Alliant may include providing wing skins, he said, adding no agreement has been reached.

Alliant also wants to sell Toulouse, France-based Airbus composite reinforcement parts for fuselages, wings and floor structures, Shroyer said. He didn't identify which plane would use the parts. European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. is the parent of Airbus.

Loretta Gunter, a Boeing spokeswoman, declined to comment on Shroyer's remarks. Maggie Bergsma, an Airbus spokeswoman, said she didn't immediately have information available on Alliant's plans.

Alliant, the only maker of reusable solid-rocket motors for the space shuttle fleet, posted total sales of $3.56 billion last year. The company also has won contracts for work on the Ares I program, which will power the spacecraft that replace the space shuttles.