Staff Report
The PAS Technologies Inc. plant in Hillsboro is one of two within the company that should benefit from a long-term agreement with Pratt & Whitney that was announced Wednesday.The agreement makes North Kansas City-based PAS the exclusive designated service provider for select repairs of Pratt & Whitney and IAE engine models. The repair and refurbishing work on the PW2000, PW4000 and IAE V2500 aircraft engine families would be done at the PAS facilities in Hillsboro and Kansas City.
Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., designs and manufactures aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. PAS, a privately held company, specializes in cost-effect repair and overhaul solutions for aerospace and industrial markets.
"PAS Technologies Inc. is excited to enter into this new designated service provider agreement with Pratt & Whitney," said Phil Milazzo, PAS Technologies Inc. president and CEO. "This partnership further extends our product services, adding new technology repairs and new market applications for our services."
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, who visited the PAS facility in Hillsboro in February and has been advocating for the plant's growth, applauded the announcement.
"This is great news for PAS Technologies, and it brings the expansion in Hillsboro one step closer to reality," Portman said. "I have been in frequent contact with CEO Phil Milazzo regarding their decision on where to expand and am optimistic that Hillsboro will benefit from this new contract.
"This would be a tremendous economic opportunity for Highland County and would bring job growth to an area that has a highly skilled, talented work force."
During Portman's visit in February, Milazzo discussed expansion plans that over three phases this year could take the number of company employees in Hillsboro from 95 to more than 250.
