Governor Cooper Announces 240 New Jobs as U.K. Aerospace Company Selects Greensboro for Major Aircraft Maintenance Center | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Marshall USA LLC, a subsidiary of the United Kingdom's largest privately owned aerospace and defense business, will establish a major maintenance and engineering facility at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, creating 240 jobs, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company reports it will invest $50 million in the new Guilford County facility.

    "North Carolina's reputation for excellence in aerospace and military support continues to grow all around the world," said Governor Cooper. "Thanks to our state's specialized workforce, companies like Marshall Aerospace that support the vital mission of our servicemembers in uniform continue to choose North Carolina as the perfect place to do business."

    Marshall Aerospace with headquarters in Cambridge, United Kingdom, enjoys a stellar reputation for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and engineering excellence built over the past 100 years. Its vivid history includes the company's role in World War II, training more than 20,000 pilots and rebuilding and repairing over 5,000 aircraft, including Boeing's famous B-17 'Flying Fortress.' In the 1950's, the company was trusted to service Lockheed Martin's Super Constellation aircraft. Today, the company has grown from supporting the UK Armed Forces and now works with many UK allies, including the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and its fleet of C-130 aircraft. Marshall USA's project at the Piedmont Triad International Airport will establish a facility to support its current and future U.S. Armed Forces contracts, with Phase 1 comprising capacity to support six C-130 slots along with a paint facility, support shops, and office space.

    "We believe Greensboro is the ideal home of our U.S. Aerospace operations and are very grateful for the exceptional support and partnership we have received from Greensboro City Council and the State Government of North Carolina," said Marshall Group CEO Kathy Jenkins. "We are excited to put over 55 years of C-130 experience to work in providing an unmatched standard of in-country support for existing and new US-based partners and customers."

    "The aviation and aerospace sector continues to prove its significant role in the North Carolina economy," said Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. "Companies around the world like Marshall Aerospace respect and are rewarding our state's commitment to the specialized workforce development programs that bring success in today's global economy."

    The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the state's support for the company during its site evaluation and decision-making process.

    Wages will vary depending on position, with the community seeing more than $18 million enter its economy from the project's payroll impact, each and every year.

    Marshall Aerospace's project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the state's economy by $1.9 billion. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by 243 new jobs, and a required capital investment of $33 million, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,374,200, spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grant's reimbursement payments to a given company.

    Because Marshall Aerospace chose a site in Guilford County, classified by the state's economic tier system as Tier 2, the company's JDIG agreement also calls for moving $263,800 into the state's Industrial Development Fund - Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Even when new jobs are created in a Tier 2 county such as Guilford, the new tax revenue generated through JDIG grants helps more economically challenged communities elsewhere in the state.

    "We could not be more excited to welcome this famous aircraft company to our community," said N.C. Senator Michael Garrett. "Marshall Aerospace does business around the world and their vote of confidence in Guildford County, the City of Greensboro, and in North Carolina makes us very proud."

    "I'd like to congratulate the many people and organizations that have worked tirelessly to make today's announcement possible," said N.C. Representative John Faircloth. "We welcome Marshall Aerospace to North Carolina, and all of us will help its leaders and employees find success in our state."

    Partnering with the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina on this project were the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Community College System, North Carolina A&T State University, Guilford Tech Community College, the Piedmont Triad International Airport, Duke Energy, the City of Greensboro, Guilford County, the Guilford County Economic Development Alliance, and the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce.


    Contact: Sam Chan

    Phone: (919) 814-2100  •      Email: govpress@nc.gov