Ribbon cutting at the new facility
Pratt & Whitney’s state-of-the-art turbine airfoil production facility in Asheville is expected to achieve operational capability in the second quarter of 2023. The facility is a 1.2 million square foot facility with incorporated industry 4.0 standards. The facility features highly automated manufacturing to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost in support of high-volume programs, including the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ and F135 engines, for decades to come.
Asheville production will complement any existing turbine airfoil work that had been done across Pratt & Whitney’s facilities. The new facility will house an advanced casting foundry and conduct machining, coating and finishing of airfoils onsite. The facility will have 100% connected machines and digital information flow for employees within the first year. The $650 million investment is also expected to create 800 new jobs through 2027, with the majority of the current 150 positions having been filled by local hires.
Pratt & Whitney broke ground in May 2021 and held the last beam ceremony in January 2022. The facility turned the power on in July and another milestone was just reached as the employees, building community and elected officials gathered to officially cut the ribbon for the facility.
“Pratt & Whitney’s new Asheville facility is a cornerstone of our industrial transformation and a key investment that will support growing demand for GTF engine-powered aircraft and for the F135 engine, which powers the F-35 Lightning II,” Pratt & Whitney President Shane Eddy said. “It represents the harmonized execution of our CORE Operating System and fully integrated Industry 4.0 capabilities designed around our people and processes that add value to our products. It’s an honor to celebrate the ribbon cutting of this facility in the state that was first in flight.”
“Global companies like Pratt & Whitney can choose to locate anywhere, but they know they’ve made the smart move with North Carolina,” Governor Roy Cooper said. “This investment will strengthen our state’s manufacturing industry, bringing good paying jobs to Buncombe County for years to come.”
The factory has met or exceeded Pratt & Whitney’s greenhouse gas, water and waste goals. The new facility features several sustainability and environmental stewardship initiatives including LEED certification, zero liquid waste discharge, and 100% achievement of best practices for wastewater, energy and greenhouse gases.
Learn more about the new Asheville facility and the jobs available
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