ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Pratt & Whitney is set to expand its turbine airfoil manufacturing plant in Buncombe County, a significant vote of confidence in Western North Carolina, Gov. Josh Stein said Tuesday. The company’s expansion project will create 325 jobs and include an additional investment of $285 million in Asheville.
Pratt & Whitney’s Asheville facility produces high-tech turbine airfoils, an important component in aircraft jet engines. The company’s new project will expand its production capacity to meet growing customer demand.
“Pratt & Whitney’s continued investment in Asheville is critical to meet the growing demand for our products, such as the GTF for the A320 family and the F135 for the F-35 Lightning II,” Asheville General Manager Dan Field said in a news reelase. “We would like to thank the state, Buncombe County and Governor Stein for their support on this project. This latest round of investment will allow us to add critical process elements for the manufacture of turbine airfoils and increase the overall delivery output of this facility, enabling us to deliver on our customer commitments while creating hundreds of new jobs in the Asheville community.”
Although wages will vary depending on the position, the average salary for the new positions will be $62,413, compared with an average wage in Buncombe County of $54,416, according to the news release. The new positions will bring an annual payroll impact to the community of more than $20 million per year.
“The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is proud to congratulate Pratt & Whitney on their expansion plans,” Chair of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners Amanda Edwards said in the news release. “Economic resilience remains an urgent priority in the wake of Hurricane Helene and the commitments announced today will continue to drive the recovery of Buncombe County households in the years ahead. Private sector partners like Pratt & Whitney are an essential part of the Asheville Comeback.”
“Sustained, responsible and innovative economic growth is the core mission of the Economic Development Coalition, and our Board is pleased to support this great community partner,” EDC Board Chair Sabrina Rockoff said in the release. “The Asheville Region has emerged as a growing hub for the aerospace industry, and Pratt & Whitney’s decision to expand in Buncombe County is a testament to the region’s deep talent pool and industry-leading partnership with Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.”
Partnering with Buncombe County and the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County were the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, N.C. Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Golden LEAF Foundation, the Office of Congressman Chuck Edwards, Biltmore Farms LLC and Duke Energy.
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