Tulsa's NORDAM Signs Agreement With China Airlines

A big announcement was made Monday from one of Tulsa's largest employers. 

NORDAM, an aerospace manufacturing company, has agreed to a new partnership with China Airlines.

The agreement will create NORDAM Asia Limited.

NORDAM says it will repair and overhaul structural aircraft components for the China Airlines fleet and for other airlines in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Having the ability to partner in a joint venture with an airline, which is the end customer, that's a major deal," said NORDAM Vice Chairman T. Hastings Siegfried.

Siegfried's father bought NORDAM back in 1969 when it was a small operation.

"I know that he probably knew that he wanted to grow the business once he purchased it,” said Siegfried. “I don't know if he knew exactly where and how he was going to do that."

Now the company has been operating overseas for the last 25 years and this agreement solidifies an even larger presence in the Asian Market. 

"There are very few companies that actually partner with airlines in the component maintenance," said Siegfried.

It could also be big for jobs in Tulsa. NORDAM wasn't able to give a specific number of jobs the agreement could create but did say it will mean growth for the Tulsa-based company, especially for jobs in engineering, IT and other STEM career fields.

"There is going to be a need to expand and we see Tulsa as that place because of all the support services that we have here to do it,” said Siegfried. 

NORDAM says the agreement also promotes development of the aviation and aerospace sector in Taiwan.

Oklahoma Aeronautic Commission Director Victor Bird says State policies like the Engineer tax credit help companies like NORDAM.

He says with Aerospace responsible for $43 billion of economic impact in our state and more than $20 billion of that solely in Tulsa.

It's important to facilitate partnerships like this one.

"You haven't seen the unemployment rate reach the same levels it did in the 80's and I think that's because Oklahoma is much more diversified,” said Bird.

Right now, the company is not releasing any more details about their new facilities overseas.

NORDAM's website shows it currently has nine facilities across three continents, including the Asia Pacific region.

NORDAM, China Airlines leaders and city officials held an official signing ceremony Monday, November 13, 2017. The agreement follows another major NORDAM announcement last month with Airbus.

10/5/2017 Related Story: NORDAM Awarded Largest Contract In Company's History From Airbus