Four years ago, area residents were wondering where the new jobs would come from after CFB Summerside closed its doors. Some of those same residents are now realizing the job possibilities and opportunities are more than they ever bargained for.
Since CFB Summerside was transformed into Slemon Park in 1992, aerospace and training have been its key focus. With assistance from both the provincial and federal governments, the privately run Slemon Park has attracted three primary aerospace tenants including Testori Americas Corporation. This Italian-based manufacturer specializes in a complete range of interior products including panels and related components, textiles design and manufacture, and cut and sew for aircraft and mass transit vehicles.
Wendell Gillis, a resident of Ellerslie, has been an employee of Testori Americas since it began its operation in 1994. Today, he is preparing for some new work responsibilities.
"If you said a year ago that I'd be in Italy, I'd have said that you were crazy," says Gillis.
Gillis now knows that the idea wasn't so far-fetched after all. He has just returned from spending 19 weeks in Aprilia located just 50 kilometres south of Rome. Gillis and a dozen other Testori Americas employees travelled to Italy and Switzerland for various lengths of time, over the past six months, to learn new skills from two other divisions of the Testori Group of Companies - Testori Interiors and Testori Technologies. Up to 30 employees will receive training in either Italy or Switzerland.
"Four years ago an aerospace industry did not exist in PEI. Through an aggressive approach to attract aerospace firms such as Testori Americas to the province, Islanders are now benefitting from full-time jobs that offer unique training and the opportunity for international travel," says Premier Catherine Callbeck.
"Testori Americas has always taken pride in supplying high quality products and extensive services to its customers. To achieve these goals the company must invest in the proper training of its personnel," says Lindo Lapegna, president, Testori Americas Corporation.
In December 1995, Testori Americas announced an $11 million expansion that will enable it to produce hard interior components including thermo-formed plastic panels and various cabin components. As a result of the expansion, 100 employees will be added to the company's work force which has already risen to 40.
Through a sub-contracting arrangement with its parent company, Testori Americas Corporation will receive a $30 million portion of $200 million in contracts to supply interior components for several European railroad projects.
While employees are training, work is progressing on preparing the company's 50,000 square foot facility to begin production later this year. Workers gain practical experience in facilities using similar equipment to what will be installed in Summerside. For most of the Testori Americas employees, the trips were their first experience at international travelling and working in a new country brings with it some interesting challenges.
"The language was the biggest challenge. We couldn't speak Italian and they couldn't speak English," says Gillis who will be supervising the final assembly of the products. "The first two weeks were really frustrating. The simplest thing was hard to say. Just saying something like 'pass me the hammer' was hard."
Robert Wagner of Freeland will be the foreman in the final assembly area. He spent 11 weeks in Italy and he agrees that the language, food and being away from home were all things that everyone had to adjust to. He said they had an opportunity on weekends to travel around and enjoy the country and learn about its history.
Another employee, Lou Gallant of Urbainville, had just started with Testori before he went to Italy for 10 weeks and then to Biasca, Switzerland for six weeks. He enjoyed the hands-on experience and feels the Summerside facility, with its ability to make the soft and hard interior components, will have some advantages over the other Testori locations.
"In Italy and Switzerland they have to work together to make the products. Here we will be able to do it in one shop," says Gallant.
More than 500 people are working in the various companies and training institutes located at Slemon Park.