Bell Helicopter Plans To Hire At New Plant Despite Job Cuts

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Bell Helicopter says its decision to trim jobs from its global workforce won't affect plans to hire workers at a $26.3 million plant in Louisiana.

The Advocate reports Bell says it will hire 115 employees at a helicopter assembly plant under construction at Lafayette Regional Airport. The state is paying for construction of the plant, which will be owned by the airport and leased to Bell.

On Tuesday, the company announced it plans to cut 1,100 jobs.

David Sylvestre, a spokesman for Bell parent Textron Inc., says most of those job cuts will be at manufacturing plants in Fort Worth and Amarillo, Texas, and in Mirabel, Quebec.

In December 2013, Bell Helicopter and Louisiana officials agreed to build a Lafayette plant to produce the 505 Jet Ranger X.

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