Asheville has been called many things and U.S. News and Reports ranked it #4 in its list of best places to retire, but what you probably do not know is that it is a center for the Aerospace and Defense Industry. As a state, North Carolina is propelling the future of aerospace and defense. It is spearheading new research into unmanned aerial vehicles. And North Carolina industry organizations, including the NC Advanced Manufacturing Alliance and NextGen Air Transportation Center, are further investing enormous resources behind the development of the industry within the state. It now ranks #1 in the U.S. for industry sponsored research and its universities and colleges are turning out new aerospace engineers every semester. As of 2020, the state was home to 40,000 aerospace engineers, and it has the third largest active duty and reservist military population. Many of those specialize in aerospace propulsion and ground equipment.
In 2020, Biltmore Farms Company announced plans to build a large 1,000-acre industrial park, Biltmore Park West, to facilitate continued growth of the aerospace industry in Asheville and the surrounding area. Work is already underway as we enter 2021. The site is located between the Blue Ridge Parkway, Interstate 26, and the French Broad River, across from the North Carolina Arboretum. Pratt & Whitney is the first to announce that it will build a facility in the new industrial park. Their 1-million-square-foot manufacturing facility will sit on a 100-acre tract overlooking the interstate.
Asheville’s Chamber of Commerce website includes the following overview of aerospace in Asheville:
Asheville has proved itself as a world leader in air and spacecraft production. A legacy employer for over 50 years, GE Aviation broke ground on a new facility in South Asheville in 2013 that would be the first in the world to mass produce engine components with a breakthrough material known as ceramic matrix composite (CMC). In addition to jet engine and aircraft systems, even parts of NASA’s Voyager have been manufactured right here in Asheville by Kearfott Corporation. Part of our success in aviation manufacturing can be credited to our skilled workforce. With an available and educated talent pool, aviation companies can feel confident that Buncombe County has the available resources they need to make large-scale impact.