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Pilatus announced Monday that beginning in the second quarter of 2024 it will begin a step-by-step take over RUAG Aerostructures Schweiz AG's workforce and machinery. The takeover is in line with the Swiss government's goals for RUAG International. Moving forward, Pilatus will manufacture its own components at the Emmen site.
RUAG Aerostructures Schweiz AG is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of aerostructures. The company began producing parts and components for Pilatus in the early 1990s, including fuselages for the PC-21 and horizontal stabilizers for the PC-12. The Swiss company makes fuselage sections for other aircraft including the Airbus A320, Bombardier CRJ 900 and Airbus A330, as well as wings and periphery for the A320, Boeing F/A-18 and Northrop F-5 Tiger. Acquiring both employees and machinery will allow Pilatus to increase production capacity and introduce new competencies. RUAG Aerostructures said the two Swiss companies reached an agreement in mid-January on the sale of the machine park and the transfer of employees, in line with the strategic goals for RUAG International set by the Federal Council.Pilatus PC-21
"This takeover will allow us to strengthen Central Switzerland as a business location, safeguard jobs and create new perspectives," said Hansueli Loosli, Chairman of the Pilatus Board of Directors.
The takeover will be gradual, with Pilatus taking over the entire production of RUAG Aerostructures in Emmen with around 130 employees. Pilatus will then gradually take over the remaining 100 employees and in the future, the company will exclusively manufacture its own parts and components in Emmen. RUAG Aerostructures will continue as a company, finalizing existing commitments with its non-Pilatus customers. Pilatus plans to expand its production at the Emmen site and create additional jobs in the future.
"The new location close to Lucerne will give us better access to talent whilst also allowing us to expand our own production expertise," Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher said. "We are delighted about the takeover and would like to extend a warm welcome to all the employees who will be joining our ‘Pilatus Family'."
Pilatus will rent a facility from RUAG Real Estate AG at the new site at the Emmen airfield. In the future, operations will be directed exclusively to making parts and components required for aircraft production in Stans. Pilatus will continue taking orders from external customers previously served by RUAG Aerostructures for a limited time. In a separate agreement, Pilatus and RUAG Real Estate AG will determine options for the additional acquisition of an adjacent plot of land for other development prospects. The partnership with RUAG will be reinforced and additional jobs will be created in the medium to long term. The details of the contract are confidential but RUAG Aerostructures said the transfer of ownership is expected to take place in the coming months.
With this sale, RUAG International has reached a milestone in the implementation of the privatization strategy defined by its owner, the Swiss Confederation. Once ownership is transferred to Pilatus RUAG International's business will shift focus on Beyond Gravity, a leading supplier of products for the global space market in satellites and launch vehicles as well as technologies for the semiconductor market.
"We are delighted to have found a future owner in the Pilatus family, with whom RUAG Aerostructures Switzerland has already enjoyed a successful partnership for decades," RUAG International CEO André Wall said.