LAI Participates In Textron's Roll-Out Ceremony

LAI International, Inc. (Scottsdale, AZ), a critical supplier for Textron Marine & Land Systems? Armored Security Vehicle used in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, participated in the roll-out ceremony of the 2,000th ASV. John Rogers, V.P. of business development for LAI, and Stephanie Miller, plant manager for LAI?s production facility in Westminster, MD, witnessed the 2,000th ASV rolling off the assembly line at Textron Marine & Land Systems (Slidell, LA).

LAI, a strategic supplier of precision components and subassemblies for original equipment manufacturers, manufactures several of the close-out panels for assembly on the armored military vehicle and has supplied floor plates and beveled armor strips. LAI also uses its advanced waterjet technology to precision cut and trim raw materials for production of the panels.

?Our employees are proud that LAI is a supplier to Textron Marine & Land Systems and to play a part in helping protect our troops,? Stewart Cramer, president of LAI, said. ?The ASV is an impressive vehicle, and we take pride in supporting this exciting achievement.?

LAI representatives were among special guests celebrating the milestone, joining officials with the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, local government, suppliers and employees. LAI was one of 45 suppliers invited to the ceremony. The ASV program has 220 suppliers.

?LAI is a critical supplier that has continually demonstrated its commitment to the ASV program,? Barbara Gahagan, Textron Marine & Land Systems Procurement Manager, said. ?Our record of on-time delivery and the reliability and survivability of the system is a success of the entire team, spanning our Textron Marine & Land Systems employees and all of our suppliers.?

The ASV is a 4×4-wheeled armored vehicle that offers crew protection through multiple layers of armor, defending against small arms fire, artillery projectile fragments, Improvised Explosive Devices and land mines.

?This ASV program has been outstanding because of the dedication of the people here at Textron Marine & Land Systems who put their efforts into making the best vehicle possible for our troops,? Tom Walmsley, General Manager, Textron Marine & Land Systems. ?The vehicle designed and built here has protected thousands of soldiers doing their duty in operations all over the world. Every soldier that returns home to his or her family because he or she was in an ASV is a triumph for every employee here working on this program.?

The ASV has logged more than 30,000 miles per year in combat operations including theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Textron has achieved more than 44 consecutive months of on-time delivery to the U.S. Army on the ASV program, according to Textron. The 1,000th ASV was completed in June 2007, seven years after the first vehicle was completed in 2000. Production was interrupted briefly by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but quickly returned to the contract level.

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