March 16 it has been 15 years since the privatization of PZL Mielec and company joining to the Sikorsky family, which is now a part of Lockheed Martin Corporation. It was the beginning of groundbreaking changes in the history of aviation in Mielec.
Since privatization and 170 million USD investment to improve production facilities and carrying out a number of modernization works, PZL Mielec sales have increase seven-fold. Cabins, pylons and tail cones produced at PZL Mielec are shipped to Sikorsky’s Black Hawk helicopter factory in the United States, and so far 83 the S-70i and S-70M Black Hawk variant have been produced and delivered to several international customers from ten countries.
“Within several years, we have become the largest exporter of the defense industry in Poland, a company at the highest world level in the field of production and management. We have enjoyed significant growth and development since privatization”- said Janusz Zakręcki, president and general director of PZL Mielec.
Also M28 05 aircraft manufactured and serviced at PZL Mielec are constantly expanding the group of their buyers and we are not slowing down in their modernization activities, as we evidenced by the aircraft presentation in SOMA configuration addressed to the needs of special forces missions around the world.
In addition to 1550 workers directly employed at the Mielec plant, more than 5,000 other jobs are sustained in Polish supply chain companies, many of which are located in Poland’s Aviation Valley.
The commitment shown by Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin has enabled PZL Mielec to remain a distinctly Polish company that is well prepared to compete on a global scale.
PZL introduced a new standards of both occupational health and safety, quality and production. The company launched the Aircraft Research and Test Center, a modernized paint shop and anodizing plant and a modern Composite Center. In addition, since the beginning of this year, we are a part of the global F-16 Program as a producer of components and assemblies for the latest generation F-16 Block 70/72.