Pratt & Whitney spending $200 million to expand Georgia aircraft engine factory

Pratt & Whitney announced February 24 that it would spend $200 million more on an expansion of its Columbus, Georgia aircraft engine plant at a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating a previous $200 million investment announced in 2023. The second expansion will further expand the company’s Columbus Engine Center and create 15 jobs after the previous expansion increased the plant footprint by 81,000 square feet and created 400 new jobs.

According to company leadership, Pratt & Whitney has now spent $1 billion on expansions at the Columbus site since 2008. The Columbus Engine Center produces Pratt & Whitney GTF engines for Airbus and Embraer, the F100 engine for McDonnell Douglas and Lockheed Martin, and the F117 engine for Boeing. Pratt & Whitney’s nearby Columbus Forge produces compressor airfoils and turbine discs for the company’s engines.

No local or state grants or credits were disclosed, but state officials said Pratt & Whitney benefited from the Georgia Quick Start program, which connects companies with educational and local institutions like Columbus Technical College and Columbus-Muskogee County leadership.

What people are saying

“Over the past four decades and with the support of the Columbus community, state, and Governor, Pratt & Whitney’s presence in Georgia has grown from a small manufacturing facility to a state-of-the-art manufacturing and overhaul center, employing 2,600 dedicated people focused on our mission: to connect and protect our world,” said Pratt & Whitney President Shane Eddy. “Since 2008, we have invested more than $1 billion to continue expanding the footprint and capabilities of our Columbus facility. This latest investment will increase output of critical parts for our growing military and commercial engine programs and underscores our ongoing commitment to ramp industrial capacity to support our customers.”

“Pratt & Whitney's decision to invest in Georgia immediately after just completing another major expansion is an incredible testament to how companies that operate in our state find reliable, ongoing, and long-term success,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Throughout its more than forty years in Columbus, Pratt & Whitney has been a valued partner and driver of the impact our aerospace industry is delivering statewide. We're grateful that this partnership will only continue to grow and flourish, benefiting this cutting-edge job creator, the people of Columbus, and all of Georgia.”

“We want to thank Pratt & Whitney for their continued faith in the Columbus community and the Valley region,” said Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson. “We appreciate Governor Kemp, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and Choose Columbus’ help in getting this across the finish line. Pratt & Whitney has been such an outstanding community partner, and we look forward to continuing to grow that relationship.”

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