LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 15, 2005) -- Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher today cited his administration’s aggressive policy for attracting new business, along with the University of Kentucky’s readiness to provide highly trained engineers, as a reason for the successful recruitment of a new Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. engineering center to Lexington.
”To have that company here is truly a great achievement. It’s only a beginning,” Fletcher told a group of state and Lexington government and business leaders at a grand opening for the center.
Fletcher was flanked by UK President Lee T. Todd Jr., who credited the governor’s leadership with helping secure the decision by Sikorsky Aircraft to award the design center contract to Belcan Engineering Group.
”One of the reasons I wanted this job (as UK president) was to make an impact on the economy of the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” Todd said. “It’s going to be nice to see 300 engineers walking downtown with all those bankers.”
The center is providing up to 40 jobs initially and as many as 300 by the end of the year – jobs that may be filled by UK College of Engineering graduates. It deepens the relationship between Belcan, founded by UK engineering alumnus Ralph G. Anderson, and Sikorsky, the Connecticut-based manufacturer of advanced helicopters for commercial, industrial and military uses.
Belcan is performing targeted engineering activities in support of projected growth of Sikorsky Aircraft’s domestic and international enterprises. The Lexington center also is providing cooperative-education opportunities for UK engineering students to gain on-the-job experience for a semester or longer.
Sikorsky’s decision to award the engineering design center contract to Belcan in Lexington was announced in early December.
Also participating in today’s ceremony were Mark Miller, Sikorsky’s vice president of research and engineering; Phil Combs, president of Belcan; Lexington Mayor Teresa Isaac; Luther Deaton, chairman of Commerce Lexington; and Robert Quick, executive director of Commerce Lexington.
Others involved in the successful industrial recruitment effort were state Economic Development Secretary Gene Strong, UK College of Engineering Dean Thomas W. Lester, UK engineering Associate Dean for Economic Development and Innovations Management Bruce Walcott.
Todd also expressed appreciation to Belcan founder and UK engineering alumnus Ralph G. Anderson for his help in recruiting the Sikorsky-Belcan center to Lexington.
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