An aviation company is planning to bring nearly 2,000 jobs to Clark County.
Electra has selected Springfield as the location of its new corporate headquarters and original equipment manufacturing plant.
The announcement was made by Ohio Gov. DeWine today during the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England.
According to the announcement, the $850 million investment in Springfield and Clark County will create 1,975 jobs. The city said it's one of the largest jobs announcements in its history.
“Ohio is where flight began, and the Dayton-Springfield area has become the national epicenter for advanced air mobility — the place where the next generation of aircraft is being designed, tested, and now built at scale,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said. “Electra's decision to bring nearly 2,000 new jobs to Springfield will be transformative for Clark County, demonstrating Ohio’s unique ability to lead America into aviation's next era.”
Bringing back jobs
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said he sees Electra as an “anchor company” whose development will draw other companies to the city.
“It is a transformation company coming to our town, offering high skilled, high paying jobs," he said. "This is exactly the kind of jobs that we have unfortunately lost over the decades and now we're bringing back again to Springfield.”
Greater Springfield Partnership President Mike McDorman said this facility will continue to grow investments in the aerospace industry and make Springfield a “hotbed” for supply bases in the region.
"We have been working for decades to prepare a workforce for this day and we are just so excited about this opportunity," he said.
Direct aviation
The Springfield facility will lead production of a nine-passenger fixed-wing aircraft that uses hybrid-electric technology. The company is pitching the aircraft as "direct aviation" that can take off and land in just 150 feet.
"So it has tremendous possibilities from a military point of view. It has tremendous possibility from a civilian point of view, as well," DeWine said, noting that means it could land on a barge or a county airport in Ohio. "They already have a lot of orders for this plane and it's going to be made here in Ohio."
The Springfield site will support production of up to 800 EL9 Ultra Short aircraft per year.
The new plant will be located at AirPark Ohio, adjacent to the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
"In Springfield and Clark County, we found the rare combination this next era requires: a ready site, a skilled workforce, a deep aerospace and defense ecosystem, and state and local leaders with the commitment and vision to build it with us," Marc Allen, CEO of Electra, said in a statement.
More details coming on timeline and incentives
Rue said Allen will soon release a timeline on the development of Electra's facility, but the company expects to complete the project in two to four years.
This operation will build on the Joby air taxi plant in Dayton, the Anduril Industries autonomous weapons factory south of Columbus and the research coming out of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the governor said.
"Ohio is really getting a reputation as the aerospace state," DeWine said.
This project will get a boost from state and local incentives "tied to job creation, workforce development, infrastructure readiness, and long-term manufacturing growth."
According to DeWine's office, an incentive package is being designed.
The project developers plan to seek a Job Creation Tax Credit from the Ohio Department of Development at a future Tax Credit Authority meeting. JobsOhio also plans to help with the project and details will be public after a final agreement is executed.
