US-based engine control systems manufacturer Woodward has officially launched its plant in Bulgaria’s capital of Sofia.
The plant is based in Sofia Airport Center. It is not fully completed and work on it will continue in the next three years, but initial production activities have already begun. The main activity at the plant will be production of industrial parts. The company will be manufacturing avionics for aircraft giants Airbus and Boeing, which makes Woodward the first company in Bulgaria to operate as a provider to the global aviation industry.
The current investment in the Bulgarian unit of Woodward is approximately 1 million lev. According to Emil Iliev, general manager for Bulgaria, the investment in equipment for the workshop for electromagnetic components is likely to reach about 10 million lev.
The Bulgarian plant of Woodward will produce various components related to aircraft fuel management system and the control actuators such as wing flaps. They will be send to the Woodward plant in Niles, Illinois to be put in bigger products for customers, including Airbus, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Bombardier and Brazil’s Embraer.
At present, Woodward`s plant is utilized at about 30% but should be fully exploited in the next three years. The company does not exclude the possibility to expand its operations and lease additional premises in Sofia Airport Center upon achieving good results.