Production of the Overture will take place in a new “superfactory” facility to be constructed on a 65-acre site at PTI. The initial 188,000-square-foot production facility will be located on a shovel ready site adjacent to one of the airport’s parallel runways. Boom plans to add a second manufacturing facility once production is underway.
Boom Supersonic will not be the first aircraft company to manufacture aircraft at PTI. Honda Aircraft Company manufactures the HondaJet at the airport, which is also home to the company’s world headquarters. HAECO Americas, one of the world’s largest maintenance and repair companies, has its North American headquarters at PTI. Cessna operates a major mid-Atlantic maintenance hangar at the airport, and the FedEx mid-Atlantic hub is located at the airport.
“The airport’s governing board has made it part of the airport’s mission to recruit industry and to create jobs,” Baker said. “The Airport Authority has purchased land and graded sites to be prepared for an opportunity just like this one.”
The Authority’s aggressive approach to economic development has paid off in new investment and jobs. The airport generates almost $9 billion in economic activity each year. Approximately 8,600 people currently work on the airport’s campus.
Boom will bring more than 1,750 jobs to the airport by 2030. North Carolina economists estimate that the Overture Superfactory will grow the state’s economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years. And, with most of 1,000 acres still intact, the airport is poised to attract even more industry.
Boom Supersonic conducted a nationwide search for a place to locate its first factory. It’s no accident that the company decided that PTI would be the best fit.
PTI has a central East Coast location, a talented workforce, an adjacent network of Interstate highways, and an advanced worker training system. The region is also home to nearly 200 aerospace companies, which creates a natural supply chain.
Boom cited all of these advantages when asked why the company chose PTI.
“Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines,” said Blake Scholl, Founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “With some of the country’s best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina’s continued support, Boom is confident that the Piedmont Triad will emerge as the world’s supersonic manufacturing hub.”
Rowan County: Ready For More Food Industry Growth
With an abundance of resources at its disposal, Rowan County, NC has proven to be a successful home for an array of companies involved in food production and the biosciences, ranging from those established more than a century ago, to recent start-ups making their presence felt. Rowan County earned the No. 8 ranking in food processing from Business Facilities magazine thanks to that success and potential for further growth, marking the second straight year with a Top 10 ranking.
Cheerwine, the manufacturer of the effervescent cherry soft drink that has been an icon of Southern food and culture, has called Rowan County home for more than a century. Food Lion has been headquartered in Salisbury since its founding more than 60 years ago and now operates more than 1,000 stores across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Newer organizations like Carolina Malt House, which provides high quality, locally sourced grains to Southeastern breweries, are also flourishing. Other food processors include Freshouse, Rockwell Farms, Frierich Foods, and Patterson Farms. With a plethora of food processing companies in the area, the foundation is set for other companies to thrive in Rowan County as well.
Rowan County and the Charlotte region have transformed into a specialized and world-renowned research, development, and production center for food production and the biosciences. One of the most valuable resources available to food processors is the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) in Kannapolis. NCFIL is a new, current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) pilot plan accelerating plant-based food research, ideation, development, and commercialization.
