CLEAR SKIES FOR TEXAS INVESTMENT
Aerospace manufacturer Bell Textron will soon grow its operations in Fort Worth, Texas, with the establishment of a $429 million Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) component manufacturing facility. The company, whose HQ is based in the city, will see its project be the first to benefit from Texas’ new Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology and Innovation program (JETI). The JETI Act creates a 10-year agreement among a company, a school district and the Governor’s Office for a school district maintenance and operations tax with an appraised value limitation of 50% based on qualifying job and capital investment minimums. In addition, the company will receive a $2.6 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant from the state. Bell Textron’s project is expected to create over 400 jobs. “Bell has called Texas home for over 60 years,” said Bell President and CEO Lisa Atherton. “The U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft will revolutionize Army aviation, and Bell is proud that one of the most critical FLRAA manufacturing sites will be in Fort Worth.” Now the company will move forward with facility modifications and equipment installations as it aims to begin Low-Rate Initial Production by 2028.
Photo courtesy of Agristo
BELGIUM’S AGRISTO LANDS FIRST U.S. PLANT IN NORTH DAKOTA
To strengthen Belgium-based potato products manufacturer Agristo’s position within international markets, the company will soon establish its first U.S. site. This news follows Agristo’s recent portfolio expansion projects in Belgium and France to adhere to growth demands. The company selected Grand Forks, North Dakota, as the location to invest $450 million to construct its latest production site. Agristo stated that the company worked alongside many American farmers to test potato varieties, ultimately selecting North Dakota based on availability of agricultural area and its experience in potato cultivation. Current investment reflects the first phase of the project, which is anticipated to become operational in 2028. The new facility will create up to 350 direct jobs.
Photo courtesy of Anduril
4,000 WEAPONS SYSTEMS JOBS COMING TO RICKENBACKER
Last week, California-based autonomous system and weapons manufacturing company Anduril announced the selection of Columbus, Ohio, for its first hyperscale manufacturing facility. The site is strategically located next to Rickenbacker Airport, offering access to two 12,000-ft. runways and a 75-acre private apron to ease distribution needs. Dubbed Arsenal-1, the new 5-million-sq.-ft. facility will use a software-defined manufacturing platform, Arsenal, that will support mass production of tens of thousands of autonomous systems and weapons per year by 2026. An additional 500 acres of the site will be available to Anduril in case of future expansion projects. “Arsenal-1 represents a step forward in how we manufacture the autonomous systems and weapons that our nation and our allies need to remain secure,” said Anduril CEO Brian Schimpf. “By harnessing a world-class workforce and a scalable, software-driven approach to manufacturing, Arsenal-1 will set the standard for how we respond to the challenges of the future fight. Ohio’s infrastructure and talent pool make it the ideal home for this historic effort to rebuild the arsenal of democracy.” The project will create over 4,000 new jobs, marking the largest single job creation project in Ohio.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
