Touring either Lycoming’s factory in Williamsport or Continental’s in Mobile is like a stroll through time. Cheek by jowl with ancient hand-operated machine tools are modern CNC machining centers that would be at home in a Ford or GM plant. In late March, Continental revealed that it’s ready to scrap the old stuff for good.
In a surprise announcement, the company unveiled plans to build a new factory on fresh ground in Mobile, investing some $40 million in new machine tools and production processes that Continental hopes will improve efficiency and make it more competitive in what it sees as an increasingly global market.