What is GKN Aerospace, the Company Whose California Plant Is at Risk of Exploding?

A chemical leak in Orange County, California led to evacuations at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove. The company manufactures jet engines, landing gear, and other components for military and civilian aircraft, with about 16,000 employees worldwide and at least 540 at the Garden Grove site. The facility, operating since 2004 on about 15.5 acres, was expanding to add a new production line scheduled for completion in January 2027. Airplane windows and military canopies are designed and tested there, including components used in commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The company was sold in 2018 to Melrose Industries. Since 2018, the Garden Grove site has had four OSHA inspections, and it was fined $2,550 or less for infractions that were later corrected.

"The chemical leak that prompted evacuations in Orange County, Calif., on Friday occurred at GKN Aerospace, a manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom that produces jet engines, landing gear and other components for military and civilian aircraft. About 16,000 people are employed at the company overall, including at least 540 at the location in Garden Grove, Calif., according to a 2024 news release. Its products are used in planes produced by Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier as well as the space industry."

"The California site, one of 32 manufacturing plants the company has across the world, was undergoing an expansion to create a new production line, set to be completed in January 2027. According to a city planning document, the site, which has been in operation since 2004, sits on about 15.5 acres. At the Garden Grove facility, airplane windows and military canopies are designed and tested, including some used in commercial aircrafts like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the company's website states."

"In 2018, the company was sold to Melrose Industries, an investment firm that specializes in purchasing struggling businesses and turning them around. Records show the Garden Grove facility has undergone four inspections by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration since 2018. The company was fined $2,550 or less for unknown infractions that have since been fixed."

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