AEROSPACE

Asheville has been called many things, and U.S. News and Reports ranked it #4 in its list of best places to retire. However, what you might not know is that it is also a center for the Aerospace and Defense Industry. As a state, North Carolina is driving the future of aerospace and defense, spearheading new research into unmanned aerial vehicles. North Carolina industry organizations, including the NC Advanced Manufacturing Alliance and NextGen Air Transportation Center, are investing significant resources to develop the industry further within the state.

North Carolina now ranks #1 in the U.S. for industry-sponsored research, and its universities and colleges are producing new aerospace engineers every semester. As of 2020, the state was home to 40,000 aerospace engineers. Additionally, it boasts the third-largest active duty and reservist military population, with many specializing in aerospace propulsion and ground equipment.

In 2020, Biltmore Farms Company announced plans to establish a massive 1,000-acre industrial park, Biltmore Park West, to support the continued growth of the aerospace industry in Asheville and the surrounding area. Work on the site was already underway by early 2021. This industrial park is strategically located between the Blue Ridge Parkway, Interstate 26, and the French Broad River, directly across from the North Carolina Arboretum. Pratt & Whitney became the first company to commit to the site, planning a 1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility on a 100-acre tract overlooking the interstate.

Asheville’s Chamber of Commerce highlights the city’s reputation as a world leader in air and spacecraft production. A legacy employer for over 50 years, GE Aviation opened a new facility in South Asheville in 2013, becoming the first in the world to mass-produce engine components with a groundbreaking material known as ceramic matrix composite (CMC).

In addition to jet engine and aircraft systems, Asheville has contributed to space exploration, with parts of NASA’s Voyager manufactured by the Kearfott Corporation. The city’s success in aviation manufacturing is largely due to its skilled workforce. With a robust and educated talent pool, aviation companies find Asheville’s Buncombe County well-equipped to support large-scale innovation and production.