Daher (Tarbes, France) has marked a major expansion of its U.S. industrial presence by acquiring a metallic and composite aerostructures assembly facility in Stuart, Florida, reportedly reinforcing the company’s position as a Tier 1 supplier for aircraft manufacturers in North America and beyond.

The completion of this acquisition from Triumph (Berwyn, Pa., U.S.), announced on July 5, brings Stuart’s approximately 400 employees into Daher’s Industry Division, a supplier of complex aerostructures for leading airframers.

“With the Stuart facility, Daher has reached a critical size that is essential in the aerostructures business, while also marking an important expansion of our overall industrial footprint in North America,” Didier Kayat, chief executive officer (CEO) of Daher, explains. “This represents a crucial element in Daher’s long-term strategic plan, and further strengthens our ability to meet supply chain demands as the aviation sector continues its rebound.”

Stuart is recognized for its capabilities in the assembly of large, complex metallic and composite aerostructures — such as wing and fuselage assemblies. This is said to complement Daher’s competence as a designer, manufacturer, installer and repairer of aerostructures that incorporate various materials, including thermoplastic composites and other leading-edge materials. 

“As a family owned company, our core strengths are built on a long-term vision and a corporate social responsibility policy that values our employees,” Patrick Daher, chairman of Daher’s Board of Directors, adds. “We are fully committed to the Stuart facility’s future, and look forward to its role in serving our customer base as Daher shapes the aviation supply chain of today and tomorrow.”

Through the inclusion of Stuart’s production activity, North America has now become Daher’s second largest region after its home country, France. This also steps up the company’s role as a supplier to North American aerospace customers, including Boeing (Chicago, Ill., U.S.) and Gulfstream (Savannah, Ga., U.S.). Additionally, North America joins France as a region where Daher is present with all three of its business activities: aircraft manufacturing; the production of aerospace equipment and systems; and a provider of logistics and supply chain services.

Daher’s established North American activities include the production of turboprop-powered Kodiak utility airplanes at Sandpoint, Idaho (acquired in 2019); a services site in Pompano Beach, Florida, for the company’s TBM turboprop aircraft family; a logistics operation that supports Airbus’ (Toulouse, France) commercial aircraft assembly lines in Mobile, Alabama; logistics and assembly activities in Canada; the manufacture of composite parts in Nogales, Mexico; along with a logistics and services facility in Querétaro, Mexico that supplies Airbus for the production of aerostructures.
 
Moreover, Daher says the the newly acquired Stuart aerostructures plant is located at a historic site for North America’s aerospace industry — situated on the southeast coast of Florida, 90 miles south of Cape Canaveral and 40 miles north of West Palm Beach. The site is strategically located near epicenters for all shipping modalities, including rail, air, sea and ground transportation.