Florida is home to global leaders like Blue Origin, Embraer, Pratt & Whitney, L3Harris, Heico and hundreds of other aviation and aerospace companies that are shaping the future of flight. Let the state’s decades of pioneering innovation, top-ranked workforce and infrastructure built for the future propel your business to new heights.
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IBISWorld
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Lightcast
One of the most military-friendly states in the nation, Florida's ready-made aerospace and defense workforce is perfectly suited for your company's next mission.
The Sunshine State is leading the future of space exploration with over 700+ aerospace establishments. From companies specializing in aerospace engineering, machining, avionics and automation to manufacturing operations, information technology and project management, aerospace manufacturing companies in Florida are on the cutting edge of innovation.
From military installations in Northwest Florida to spacecraft testing along the Space Coast to airplane manufacturers in Florida’s southeast, our team can help your aviation and aerospace company find the location you need to succeed.
Florida is No. 2 in the nation when it comes to manufacturing products and parts for the aerospace and aviation industry and is 2nd among U.S. states for manufacturing space and defense systems.
Florida is home to the No. 3 largest veteran population in the U.S. - nearly 1.5 million highly skilled potential employees.
The Florida Department of Transportation’s continuing mission is to provide a safe transportation system that ensures the mobility of people and goods, enhances economic prosperity, and preserves the quality of the state’s environment and communities.
As the state’s aerospace finance and development authority, Space Florida brings a mix of unrivaled experience, unmatched financial tools, and unbeatable location to the table by providing critical business financing opportunities for the aerospace industry, managing infrastructure investment in the state’s spaceport system, and facilitating research and development, workforce, education, and investment programs.
The WonderFL campaign is a first-of-its-kind campaign to promote the state of Florida as an ideal location to live, work and play. It features statewide and regional websites promoting the unique work/life balance, employment opportunities and quality of life found in Florida. What will your life be in FL?
Florida's statewide workforce policy and investment board, helping connect businesses with the talented workforce and certifications needed to succeed and grow. When it comes to education for the aviation and aerospace industry, Florida is unmatched. It is home to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which proudly offers the nation’s largest aerospace engineering program, adding to the state’s skilled workforce.
Ontic, a global manufacturer of aerospace parts, has opened its first dedicated maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Miramar, Florida. The new $10 million, 64,000 square foot Center of Excellence expands support for customers of Ontic-manufactured parts and systems and becomes the company’s eighth site worldwide.
Turbine engine manufacturer Williams International broke ground on the project on October 30. The facility will encompass 1 million sq ft at the Shoal River Industrial Park in Okaloosa County, near Crestview in the Florida panhandle.
Aircraft manufacturer AURA AERO has cut the ribbon on an 11,000 sq. ft facility at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Research Park that will serve as its U.S. headquarters and first production site.
EDC of Florida’s Space Coast Continues Supply Chain Global Attraction; LHERS LLC Establishes Regional Presence, Set to Launch U.S.-Based Production
Oxford Technologies Corporation will be establishing a manufacturing operation in Northwest Florida. Oxford Technologies creates parts for the Black Hawk rotor blade and are a key contributor to Sikorsky Aircraft. The company will make a capital investment of more than $7.5 million and create 40 new jobs in Bay County.
Lockheed Martin is breaking ground on an approximately 225,000 square foot facility in Titusville, Florida to produce components for the D5LE2 submarine-launched ballistic missile. The new facility expands Lockheed Martin’s presence in Florida’s Space Coast and is expected to add approximately 300 highly-skilled new jobs.
More than 500 new jobs are around the corner in Bay County. The project will include three components: a 140,000-square-foot logistics and distribution center slated for Lynn Haven, a 120,000-square-foot engine maintenance repair and overhaul facility slated for the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, and a 40,000-square-foot engine test cell also slated for the airport.
Ontic, a leading global manufacturer of aerospace parts, is expanding into Florida with the opening of its eighth global site. Located in Miramar, this expansion comes as part of the strategic decision to create a global network of Ontic MRO Centers of Excellence. Ontic will create 88 jobs and make a capital investment of $10 million.
AURA AERO Inc., the French designer and manufacturer of next-generation aircraft, has announced its intent to build a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing and assembly plant in Volusia County. The facility will create more than 1,000 high-paying jobs in the area.
Patrick Space Force Base will serve as the permanent headquarters for the U.S. Space Force Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM).
LIFT, a national advanced materials manufacturing innovation institute, has selected Pensacola to establish its latest technology accelerator and talent development showcase facility.
AAR CORP., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, broke ground on its new maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in Miami.
Leonardo Helicopters will invest more than $65 million towards the construction of a 113,000 sq/ft facility in Milton, Florida for aftermarket support for Leonardo’s aircraft.
After years of surveys and deliberations, the Space Force announced it would headquarter one of its major commands at Patrick Space Force Base in Florida.
The Boeing Company has provided Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a $5.1 million donation for a research center that will drive safety improvements throughout the industry.
ST Engineering marked a significant milestone in its continued growth and expansion in Pensacola with the official inauguration of a new aircraft maintenance hangar at the Pensacola International Airport.
Located in Northwest Florida are six aviation-focused military bases that employ more than 56,000 individuals. These military operations include aviation activities such as unmanned aerial systems, weapons testing, pilot training and aerospace systems research and development.
The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB) is pleased to announce the opening of Percepto, the leading autonomous inspection and monitoring solution provider, revolutionizing how industrial sites monitor and inspect their critical infrastructure and assets. The company, with roots in Israel, will occupy an 11,000 sq. ft. building located at 7201 Haverhill Business Parkway, Riviera Beach, FL, and estimates 100 new high wage jobs with several million dollars of capital investment planned. Introduced by Florida Power & Light Company’s Office of Economic Development (FPL), the Business Development Board helped Percepto with site location searches, permitting assistance, and local connections. Bill Reichel of Reichel Realty & Investments, Inc., who is a BDB member, handled the real estate transaction.
Dan Robinson, a soft-spoken native of northeast England, chats in a Miami Beach coffee house, his dog at his feet. Meanwhile in California, representatives of the U.S. Air Force test a video game-like technology his company is developing to answer America’s military pilot predicament. The nation is short of pilots — by about 2,000 for the Air Force in recent years. It misses the mark in readiness. Training is expensive. “Accelerate change or lose,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said in 2020 directive to the service.
While SpaceX and United Launch Alliance have been sending rockets up at an increased pace the past several years, the Space Coast is about to get much busier with more commercial rocket companies set to join the launch party.
The world of space exploration has changed markedly since the heyday of the Space Shuttle, but one element remains unchanged: Florida’s commitment to remaining at the cutting edge of space innovation and investment.
Today, Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Space Florida, and NASA hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new NASA Causeway Bridge, a $126 million project to build two high-level fixed bridges over the Indian River, providing a new gateway to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. “Since taking office, our administration has prioritized investment in transportation infrastructure that will enhance access to Cape Canaveral and advance Florida’s position as a leader in space,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez.
Space Perspective, the world’s leading luxury spaceflight experience company, today announced that it has selected Florida’s Space Coast Spaceport in Titusville, Florida as the location for the company’s worldwide campus and manufacturing complex. Space Perspective will invest more than $38 million in new construction and high-value equipment and tooling, including the $9 million, 120,000 square foot manufacturing building slated to be fully operational within the next 24 months. The investment will also spur the creation of approximately 240 full-time permanent jobs by the end of 2026, with an annual average wage of $80,000, plus benefits.
Today, Governor DeSantis announced Terran Orbital’s decision to choose Merritt Island for construction of its Commercial Spacecraft and Constellation Facility, bringing valuable spacecraft manufacturing opportunities and capabilities to the State of Florida by investing more than $300 million in new construction and equipment. This will be the largest satellite manufacturing facility in the world. The project is expected to create approximately 2,100 new jobs with an estimated annual average wage of $84,000 by late 2025.
The $210 million project will bring three additional hangars for ST Engineering's aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Pensacola. The project also will add administrative office space to two of the new hangars.
From Miami to Jacksonville and Orlando to Pensacola or any location in between— our team of economic development experts can help launch your business’s move to Florida, connect you with partners, and put all the pieces together. Join the hundreds of other aerospace companies in Florida today.