Aerospace manufacturer invests $4.15 million to produce personal aircraft in North Carolina
Sovereign Aerospace has announced plans to begin manufacturing personal aircraft in Elizabethtown, North Carolina. The aviation management company will invest $4.15 million into the project, creating 33 new jobs for the surrounding area that include inspectors, mechanics, technicians, and administrative staff. Sovereign Aerospace will receive a $100,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund as long as job creation and capital investment targets are met.
In a recent quote, Ken Hadaway, COO of Sovereign Aerospace, said, “Sovereign Aerospace is excited to be an integral part in the development of the Elizabethtown Aerospace Industrial Park in Bladen County, North Carolina. Our partnership and collaboration with Ameravia, Inc., the sole-source importer of Vulcanair aircraft in the United States, has proven to be the cornerstone for expanding the footprint of aircraft manufacturing in North Carolina. We intend to engage the community with opportunities that exist today within the aviation industry. Through aviation training and job placement, we can mitigate the national shortfall of pilots and mechanics and help transition veterans and exiting active-duty military into careers within the aviation industry for anyone who is willing to pursue their dreams.”
N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders added, “As a small and veteran-owned business, Sovereign Aerospace embodies many of the values we seek to support North Carolina’s economic prosperity. The company’s commitment to training and employing highly skilled veterans mirrors our own commitment to growing and further developing our workforce as outlined in the First in Talent strategic economic development plan.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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