Columbus delivers 250th Lakota helo

EADS North America’s American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss., delivered the firm’s 250the UH-72A Lakota helicopter since 2006 to Army and National Guard units. The Army’s newest helicopter was delivered to the Oklahoma National Guard in Oklahoma City. Every Lakota has been delivered on time and on budget by an American workforce made up of about 50 percent U.S. military veterans. UH-72A Army Product Manager Lt. Col. David Cheney says the helicopter is serving America’s soldiers well; and the on-budget, on-time product is a testament to EADS North America’s team. Source: EADS North America media release, April 25, 2013. [Note: Back on April 11, the Army proposed to reduce its Lakoda buys from 41 to 10, according to a Market Wire report.

GE Aviation set to open Ellisville plant

GE Aviation’s jet engine and aircraft systems production company is set to tentatively open its second Mississippi plant this week at Ellisville, northeast of Hattiesburg. The global jet engine maker has banked five plant expansions since 2008, including two other facilities opening this year near Auburn, Ala., and in Ohio. The Alabama plant will build engine components. GEA has invested up to $56 million in the 300,000 square foot Ellisville plant that will manufacture advanced composite components for aircraft engines and systems. Source: Middletown (Ohio) Journal, April 19, 2013.

Contract: L-3 Vertex, $45.2M

L-3 Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Miss., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $45,202,205 firm-fixed-price contract modification to extend FA8I06-IO-C-0012 for 12 months for contractor logistic support for the Iraqi Air Force C208 and C172 aircraft and for maintenance students training on both aircraft without a break in service. Work will be performed at Tikrit Air Base, Iraq, and work is expected to be completed by April 20, 2014. The contract involves foreign military sales. The contracting activity is Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WLKLC, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. (Source: DoD, 04/19/13)

Small biz opportunity conference May 8-9 in Vicksburg

The Mississippi Development Authority is hosting a small businesses ‘Government Procurement Opportunities’ conference in Vicksburg on May 8-9 with a focus on doing business with the Defense Department contractors such as Northrop Grumman, Eaton Aerospace and Lockheed Martin. Source: Mississippi Development Authority, April 9, 2013. For more information go to http://mississippi.cvent.com/2013Opportunities.

Magnolia YPs to host biz summit in Meridian

Young business professionals are being invited to join The Mississippi Young Professionals (MSYP) organization for its “Rethink Mississippi: No Suits, No PowerPoints, No Bull” summit April 26-27 in Meridian at Mississippi State University’s Riley Center. It’s a first-time, state-wide event for the non-profit group. Among some of the state-wide YPs include groups at Columbus, Corinth, Greenwood, Meridian, Pascagoula, Starkville and Tupelo. Info: www.msyoungprof.org

State hoping to be drone-testing site

The Mississippi Development Authority is attempting to leverage the state’s major defense-contracting footprint in preparation of the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision for selection-sites for testing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). The state is vying with 37 other states. Stark Aerospace of Columbus manufactures drones, and is FAA-authorized to fly the Heron UAS within the traffic control region of the Golden Triangle Regional Airport. The state’s next submission for FAA consideration is May 6. Source: Mississippi Development Authority, April 16, 2013.

Army proposes to downsize Columbus helo order

After the U.S. Army proposed reducing its UH-72A Lakoda program from 41 to 10 EADS North America helicopters, the firm’s CEO Sean O'Keefe said the last thing the Army should be thinking about cutting is the low-cost and on-time delivery of the Columbus, Miss.-built helicopter. Source: Market Wire, April 11, 2013.

Contract: Raytheon, $35.1M

Raytheon Co., Goleta, Calif. is being awarded a $35,166,810 firm-fixed delivery order for AN/ALE-50 towed decoys. Work will be performed at Forest, Miss., and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2015. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. AFLCMC/WNKCB, Robins Air Force Base, Ga. is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/09/12)

Air ambulance for Columbus

A 75-mile swath of the Golden Triangle region in East Mississippi will now be served by the expansion of an air ambulance hub in Columbus. MedStat EMS, which serves 15 counties in central and north Mississippi, made the announcement to locate the helicopter base at the GTR Airport. Source: WVTA (Tupelo-Columbus, Miss.), April 4, 2013.

Contract: EADS NA, $21M

EADS North America of Herndon, Va., was awarded a $20,994,308 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for security and support mission equipment package production cut-in services. The cumulative total face value of this contract is now $2,260,811,397. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss. Fiscal 2013 Other Procurement, Army contract funds are being obligated on this award. The Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 04/04/13)

Communities earn MDA grants

The cities of Natchez, Ocean Springs, Starkville and Pascagoula were among seven Mississippi communities recently awarded Asset Development Grants from the Mississippi Development Authority’s division of creative economy grant program. The MDA grants give state communities matching financial aid toward developing long-range economies through strategic planning. The grants were awarded competitively at a maximum of $10,000 each. The other three recipients were DeKalb and Wilkinson counties, Rolling Fort and Woodville. Source: WJTV Jackson, Miss., April 1, 2013.

STEM Bowl produces scholarship dollars

Lockheed-Martin’s 5^th annual Mississippi IT Days’ STEM Bowl competition in Jackson produced thousands of scholarship dollars to seven teams of high school students over the weekend at Jackson State University. The project-scholarship fund is designed to show the 700 attending students the impact science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) has on people’s lives and the environment. Source: Mississippi Business Journal blog, April 1, 2013.