NEWINGTON — U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy on Tuesday morning paid a visit to GKN Aerospace Engine Systems and in a Town Hall-style meeting heard from employees their perspective on the state of manufacturing.
Murphy toured the Louis Street facility and subsequently hosted a forum with GKN Aerospace New England General Manager Martin Thorden and 130 employees.

GKN was the subject on Monday of the weekly manufacturing spotlight on Murphy’s website. Each week, the senator profiles a different state manufacturing firm.

In addition to its Newington complex, the company runs facilities in Manchester, and Cromwell.

GKN Aerospace Engine Systems is an international manufacturer of engine components, rotor blade components, airframe components, turbine blades, and other aerospace parts for both commercial and military aircraft. They operate out of 14 facilities located in Sweden, Norway, Mexico, and the United States, and serve customers including Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation, and Rolls-Royce. GKN Aerospace Engine Systems is part of the larger, multi-billion dollar company, GKN Aerospace, which employs approximately 17,000 people in more than 61 locations across three continents.

At their Newington, Manchester, and Cromwell facilities, GKN Aerospace Engine Systems employs more than 200 individuals, and is expanding rapidly, according to Murphy. The company is looking to hire new machinists, engineers, and interns at their Newington campus, which spans three buildings and 150,000-square-feet of work space.

Since 2004, the GKN Aerospace Engine Systems Newington campus has hired over 100 new employees and increased their annual sales by about $88.5 million. The company also partners with five local Connecticut universities, including Central Connecticut State University, to cultivate talent and help students launch careers in the state’s manufacturing industry. “As GKN Aerospace Engine Systems continues to bring on new employees and new machinery, they expect to continue growing exponentially,” said Murphy.

“GKN Aerospace Engine Systems is proud to be a part of Connecticut’s manufacturing heritage” said Thorden. “We are in the Silicon Valley of aerospace with our Connecticut footprint thus giving us a competitive logistics advantage by having the majority of our supply chain in such close proximity.”