Spirit AeroSystems will be expanding their operations at the Global TransPark in Lenoir County. Jared Brumbaugh has more.
The company, which manufactures components for the Airbus A350 aircraft, plans to invest nearly $56 million in Kinston over the next five years. The project was made possible in part by a performance-based incentive grant from Lenoir County up to $1.5 million. Lenoir County Executive Director of Economic Development Mark Pope.
“We’ll see hopefully jobs increasing, and an investments like this always is good because they’re putting money back in the community and it can be used for a lot of things.”
Spirit came to Kinston in 2008. The company employs 850 workers from six surrounding counties. There’s no word yet on how many jobs the expansion would bring.
“There’s about a 12,000 square foot addition to the building that they’ll start underway really soon, you’ll probably see some of that immediately where they’ll start doing that, boring and doing some concrete work. You’ll see some stuff that will be inside the building with the corridor and how they move their product around in there, that would be some of the machinery and equipment.”
Pope says students who receive training at the Manufacturing Academy at Lenoir Community College and Craven Community College’s Institute of Aeronautical Technology will be integral in providing for prospective Spirit AeroSystems employees.
