New aerospace projects are taking Kentucky to new heights.
Being recognized as an industry leader has the power to beget success in other sectors. Kentucky has long been known as a logistics stronghold, leading America as No. 1 in the nation for air cargo by weight. This renown has primed the state as an attractive location for expanding aerospace companies, inciting an influx of businesses to grow their operations in the state.
Since 2017, companies affiliated with the aerospace industry have invested more than $3.2 billion in Kentucky-based projects and announced over 7,100 new jobs. With more than 100 aerospace businesses, including Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation and Raytheon, located in the state, this sector exported nearly $19 billion in parts and goods in 2024.
This number is anticipated to continue to surge, as multiple major projects are currently underway and expected to come online in 2025.
L2 Aviation
At the tail end of 2024, L2 Aviation, a comprehensive avionics design, consulting, manufacturing and engineering company, announced its first Kentucky location with a new facility in Boone County. To facilitate growth and meet demand, the company is investing $12.2 million to locate in an existing office and production facility as well as a hangar at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). L2 Aviation plans for the two facilities to be fully operational by the end of 2025, creating 250 new jobs in the area.
GE Aerospace welcomes a tour at a plant in Madisonville, Kentucky.
Photos courtesy of Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development
Boasting 1,100 acres dedicated to air cargo, CVG is the sixth largest cargo airport in North America and the 12th largest in the world. It serves as the home of Amazon’s primary U.S. Air Hub and DHL’s Global Super Hub for the Americas — along with a significant presence from FedEx and other logistics providers.
In the December press release, BE-NKY Growth Partnership CEO Lee Crume noted that aviation maintenance and aerospace are two strong industry sectors in Northern Kentucky due to the growth of cargo and passenger operations at CVG: “We actively collaborate with the CVG team to bring maintenance and repair operations, manufacturing and aviation support projects to the Cincinnati region. With CVG’s successful expansion of passenger and cargo service, there is tremendous opportunity to bring new companies and high-potential careers to Northern Kentucky.”
New companies aren’t the only ones expanding at CVG. Last October, DHL broke ground on a new $292 million facility at the airport. The project, which has increased in scope since it was originally announced in July 2023 as a $192 million investment, includes the construction of a 305,000-sq-ft aviation maintenance facility and expanded aircraft apron at the company’s Global Hub. DHL, already one of the largest employers in Northern Kentucky, expects to create 300 additional jobs once the project is completed.
“The access to our customers is unparallelled in the Bluegrass region.”
— Yukihiro Horikawa, President, Nitto Inc.
Nitto
Gov. Andy Beshear kicked off the new year by announcing that yet another multi-million-dollar aerospace project is coming to Kentucky. On January 9, it was revealed that Nitto, a global technology developer and provider of products and services for automotive, electronics, aerospace and other industries, will be opening a new facility in Frankfort and creating 220 full-time jobs, representing the largest job creation announcement in Franklin County since 2010.
The company has selected a site at Franklin County’s Industrial Park 3, which is expected to come online in spring 2025. This new location is anticipated to provide Nitto with additional manufacturing space as well as a better location to assist in delivering products to their customer base.
“Nitto is excited to put down roots in the capital city and to welcome our team to the area in 2025,” said Yukihiro Horikawa, president of Nitto Inc. “The access to our customers is unparallelled in the Bluegrass region. We are enthusiastic about the community and excited to invest in Frankfort.”
“The economic momentum Kentucky is seeing is a direct result of tremendous growth among our largest and most vital industries, and manufacturing, automotive and aerospace are at the center of that growth,” said Gov. Beshear. “We continue to see quality companies like Nitto expanding to meet growing customer demand, and that is a recipe for long-term success for our economy.”
