Expansion Solutions Magazine Covers Recent Recruitment Wins at the North Carolina Global TransPark!

North Carolina’s aviation and aerospace sectors are thriving. The “First in Flight” state is home to a significant military economy. In June, state and federal officials, including U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, gathered at the Global TransPark in Kinston to break ground on a 750,000-sq.-ft. hangar complex that will host maintenance and repair work on the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ C/KC-130 Hercules and Super Hercules refueling, cargo and tactical passenger planes. The facility, set to employ about 440 civilian workers, will be part of Fleet Readiness Center-East (“FRC-East”), North Carolina’s largest industrial employer east of I-95.

“This project dramatically expands capacity at the Global TransPark and positions us as a national center of aviation excellence,” says Mark Pope, president of the NC Global TransPark Economic Development Region, which oversees recruitment and retention in Greene, Lenoir and Wayne counties. The complex could potentially “BRAC-proof” eastern North Carolina military bases as the Pentagon streamlines maintenance and repair operations. “It also boosts our visibility with defense contractors seeking sites near East Coast military bases,” Pope says.

Since 2020, the TransPark, a 2,500-acre multi-modal industrial property that boasts North Carolina’s longest civilian runway, has been home to Draken International, which contracts with the U.S. military to train pilots in aerial combat operations. flyExclusive, now among the nation’s largest private jet operators, is headquartered at the TransPark, and Kansas-based manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems operates a 375-worker plant there.

“The expansion of FRC-East into the TransPark is the latest in a wave of aviation wins for us, and it will keep our momentum going,” Pope says. “We’ve enjoyed great support from state, local and federal partners, and I think the pieces are now in place to bring additional public and private investment, as well as high-skilled, high-wage jobs.”

From Expansion Solutions Magazine Article – “North Carolina Enjoys Major Recruitment Win,” Published on Friday, August 23, 2024, written by Lawrence Bivins.

Read the full article at: https://www.expansionsolutionsmagazine.com/north-carolina-enjoys-major-recruitment-wins/