DAYTON — Sierra Nevada Corporation, an engineering firm with ties to national security, defense, and space projects, will bring open two new aircraft maintenance facilities at the Dayton International Airport and create 150 jobs.
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The announcement of the new facilities was made jointly by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office and the Dayton Development Coalition Monday afternoon. According to JobsOhio, the facility will mark the first time since World War II that a private sector company will have a facility to maintain and repair military aircraft in the Dayton-area.
The new facilities will sit on 16 acres at the airport with construction already underway at the first facility. An official groundbreaking will be held Wednesday.
“Following a nationwide search to find the location best suited to meet SNC’s growing customer needs, we are excited to continue our expansion in the large aircraft MRO field in Dayton and the Miami Valley,” Mark Williams, SNC senior vice president strategy said in a media release.
“Dayton’s extensive supply chain, highly skilled workforce, and proven standing as a logistics hub make the Dayton International Airport our first choice to further strengthen the expertise and robust production infrastructure that have made SNC the go-to leader in large aircraft heavy maintenance, modification, and integration markets.”
According to SNC, the company has divisions that specialize in post-production modifications for several commercial and military aircraft with all the special mission upgrades completed at the company’s current production spaces in Colorado.
“The corporation’s decision to locate in close proximity to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Life Cycle Management Center, and the Air Force Research Laboratory recognizes the immeasurable value of the Dayton region and its competitive advantage in accelerating our nation’s defense and aerospace programs,” DeWine said in the release.
“This is a great day for the Dayton International Airport and the Dayton Community. The economic growth the Airport and surrounding communities will see because of this project is likely to be substantial,” Gil Turner, Director of Aviation at the Dayton International Airport said in an emailed statement “Not to mention that Sierra Nevada’s new hangars is going to be a sight to behold.”
We’ll continue to update this story as we learn more.