STRATFORD, Connecticut - 

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today announced the certification of the Aurora Flight Sciences’ facility in Columbus, Mississippi, as a UTC Supplier Gold site. Aurora Flight Sciences becomes the 14^th Sikorsky supplier to achieve this milestone for superior operational performance. Qualifying criteria includes best-in-class performance in quality, delivery, lean techniques and customer satisfaction.

The Supply Management Council for United Technologies Corp. granted the certification after Aurora Flight Sciences’ Columbus, Mississippi, facility demonstrated the following performance:

• Zero “escapes,” meaning no substandard product has been released to Sikorsky;
• 100 percent on-time delivery for at least 12 straight months;
• Lean assessment score of 422, significantly higher than the required score of 350;
• Customer satisfaction score of 6.33 out of 7.0.

Jeff Brodersen, chief procurement officer of the Aero Structures Product Center at Sikorsky, said, “Aurora Flight Sciences’ facility in Mississippi has achieved UTC Supplier Gold status by demonstrating during the preceding 12 months ‘best in class’ quality and delivery performance, implementation of a lean culture, and overall strong customer satisfaction in connection with the design for manufacturability of the Sonobuoy launcher for the Sikorsky MH-60R SEAHAWK^® aircraft.”

Aurora Flight Sciences supplies composite aerostructures for manned and unmanned aircraft, along with components, products, and related services. Aurora Flight Sciences also designs and builds robotic aircraft and other advanced aerospace vehicles for scientific and military applications. Aurora is headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, and operates production plants in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and Columbus, Mississippi, and a Research and Development Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., based in Stratford, Connecticut, is a world leader in helicopter design, manufacture, and service. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, provides a broad range of high technology products and support services to the aerospace and building systems industries.