JetZero to bring over 14,000 jobs to Greensboro with new facility, Economic Investment Committee says
During a Thursday meeting of the North Carolina Department of Commerce's Economic Investment Committee, the state revealed that the aircraft manufacturing company JetZero has chosen Piedmont Triad International Airport as the location for a factory that is expected to generate 14,500 jobs and create billions in economic impact over a decade. This is likely one of the largest single-employer announcements in Greensboro's history, dwarfing Boom Supersonic's prior promise of 1,700 employees.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners voted to approve an incentive package of $75,933,517 paid over a period of 20 years for the project. The state's grant will total $1.17 billion over 10 years, if the company hits certain economic and investment milestones. All economic incentives provided by Guilford County are performance-based. The average wage of a job with JetZero will be $89,341, and no new job will pay less than $18.75 an hour.
The Greensboro City Council will also meet on Thursday and is expected to announce for JetZero.
Marvin J. Price of the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce described Guilford County as the world's home for 'transportation innovation.'
The Greensboro City Council meeting will be streamed in the video player above, as well as a 1 p.m. press conference from PTI.
JetZero was founded in 2020 by Mark Page and Tom O'Leary. Prior to the announcement of their new facility, they had around 225 employees divided between their Long Beach, California HQ and remote employees across the country, as well as some employees as far as Montreal and Germany.
'At full run rate, the JetZero factory will create 10,000 jobs, and will produce the world's first all-wing design airplane,' Jenny Dervin, head of communications for JetZero, wrote, though the state said that number could exceed 14,000. 'JetZero's Z4 will be up to 50% more fuel efficient because of the unique design, with a 5k nautical mile range, opening new route opportunities for airlines at a significantly better operating cost. The customer experience will be elevated, with a wider but shorter body and six seating bays, with each seat having its own dedicated overhead bag bin.'
The company aims to produce 20 aircraft a month when the facility is at 'full-run rate.'
They received a large grant from the Air Force to build and fly a demonstrator of their plane by 2027. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines are both investors, with both having conditional purchase agreements for future JetZero planes.
'Delta Air Lines is a key partner to JetZero. We joined their Sustainable Skies Lab and they've opened their Atlanta operations to us to 'walk the ramp' – understand what airlines need upon arrival/prior to take off to ensure a smooth operation. Things like catering trucks, fueling vehicles, jetways and jet bridges. The Z4 will readily fit into today's airport infrastructure, relieving airlines and airports from exotic and expensive new equipment. Delta and our other Airline Working Group (AWG) participants have been highly engaged partners – shaping design and operational decisions based on their needs and desires,' Dervin says.
JetZero believes their Z4 commercial airplane is the 'perfect plane' for an unserved 'middle market,' as no 250-seat planes with a 5,000 nautical mile range exist, despite promises from other builders.
. It's meant to be roomier than your average passenger plane and boasts 50% more fuel efficiency, according to the company.
The Z4 is among several plane designs commissioned by NASA amid their effort to create low-emission commercial aircraft.
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