A West Chester company has landed a nearly $2 billion defense contract.
CFM International Inc. has been awarded an estimated $1.9 million contract to make F108 replenishment spare parts for the U.S. Air Force and Navy. The work, which is for Defense Logistics Agency Aviation in Richmond, Va., will primarily be completed in Ohio and France.
CFM is a 50/50 joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran, and the company is based in Butler County’s West Chester Twp. The work is set to be completed by 2024.
Other companies in Washington D.C., Virginia, New Jersey, Missouri, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, New York also received contracts from various military entities. KARA DRISCOLL
RETAIL
A fast-casual Mediterranean-style restaurant and a jewelry store are set to open at The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek.
Gyro King and Hannoush Jewelers will open at the mall in spring, adding to the list of several other retailers opening soon. Francesca’s, Vanity and Knot Too Shabby have all opened in recent months, and Fusian and Melt Bar & Grilled are set to open in the near future.
“We are excited to soon welcome Gyro King and Hannoush Jewelers to the Mall at Fairfield Commons as we pride ourselves on our popular retail and dining options,” said Kristie Miller, general manager at The Mall at Fairfield Commons.
Gyro King will open in the food court in March, and offers menu items like falafel pita wraps, gyros and salads. Hannoush Jewelers, which will open in April next to JCPenney, has a wide selection of brand-name jewelry.
The Mall at Fairfield Commons has more than 130 retail stores. KARA DRISCOLL
ECONOMY
Ohio’s economy will grow at a faster rate than the nation in 2017, and employers statewide will add nearly 75,000 jobs to non-farm payrolls by the end of the year, according to the latest forecast from Ball State University economist Michael Hicks.
Gross domestic product, or the value of all goods and services in the state, is expected to grow by 2.3 percent in Ohio this year, compared to 2.1 percent GDP growth for the nation as a whole, predicted Hicks, the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball State.
Job growth in Ohio will also outpace the national rate, according to Hicks, who expects a net gain of about 74,400 this year in Ohio — a 78 percent increase from the 41,800 jobs added in 2016, according to the latest figures from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. RANDY TUCKER
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