Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: Pratt & Whitney’s 180 New Jobs Mean $10M in Salaries for Columbus

By Ben Wright
Thursday, March 24, 2011

Adding 180 new manufacturing jobs at Pratt & Whitney means a $10 million economic impact in annual salaries, U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop said Wednesday.

After a tour of the 8801 Macon Road facility in Midland, Bishop also said he supported President Barack Obama’s effort to establish a no-fly zone in Libya to stem civilian bloodshed by Moammar Gadhafi’s troops.

The capital investment is tremendous to expand with a building refit, additional tooling and new equipment to accommodate the company’s F117 engine, the power plant for the C-17 Globemaster III military cargo aircraft. The Columbus Engine Center already overhauls the International Aero Engine V2500s for Airbus A320 series aircraft.

“A capital investment of $10 million in salaries, that is tremendous,” said Bishop, D-Albany, and who serves on the Appropriations Committee on Military Construction.

The jobs not only will impact Muscogee County with workers coming from 27 counties. “It affects the state of Georgia,” Bishop said.

As developments in Libya unfold, Bishop said he’s pleased the president has taken strong action with support from the international community, United Nations, the Arab League and major coalitions to keep Gadhafi’s from slaughtering his own people.

“As a matter of morality, as a matter of humanity, it’s necessary that those actions be stopped,” Bishop said. “The international community spoke with one voice with the United Nations.”

The president has committed the United States to do a part of work with the coalition but don’t expect any permanent occupation of Libya and any boots on the ground by U.S. troops, Bishop said.

“Our part was to secure the airspace and it has been accomplished,” he said.

In the end, Bishop hopes the people of Libya will get the opportunity to live free and exhibit Democratic principles.