JetZero invests $4.7B to build commercial aircraft manufacturing facility in North Carolina
JetZero has announced plans to build its first commercial airplane manufacturing facility in Greensboro, North Carolina. The aviation company, which designs and manufactures the Z4 blended-wing body jet, has invested more than $4.7 billion into the project and will create over 14,560 jobs in Guilford County by 2063.
The new facility will be located at Piedmont Triad International Airport and will produce the Z4, a blended-wing body aircraft that combines the wings and fuselage to increase aerodynamic efficiency. The project includes a manufacturing plant as well as a research and development center for composite structures.
JetZero’s operation will be supported in part by a Transformative-class Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG), approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee. The 37-year agreement allows for potential reimbursements of up to $1.017 billion, depending on job creation and performance benchmarks. If JetZero meets or exceeds 10,000 new jobs, the grant’s extended payment period of 29 years will be activated.
Additional support includes up to $450 million in state-appropriated funds for infrastructure upgrades such as site preparation, roads, water, and wastewater improvements, as well as facility construction. These funds will be administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce and allocated to the Piedmont Triad International Airport, N.C. Department of Transportation, and the City of Greensboro.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-founder, JetZero, said, “North Carolina offers the ideal combination of talent, infrastructure, and forward-thinking leadership to support our mission to reshape aviation. This facility is a critical milestone in bringing our all-wing Z4 to market. I applaud the leadership of Governor Josh Stein and his team as well as the leadership of the North Carolina General Assembly, and whole host of local leaders and organizations for working with us to bring JetZero to North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation.”
Josh Stein, Governor, North Carolina, added, “I am thrilled to welcome JetZero and its 14,000 good-paying jobs and unprecedented innovation to Guilford County. From first in flight to now the future of flight, North Carolina and our skilled workforce is soaring.”
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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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