Governor Mike DeWine visited Springfield on Wednesday to celebrate Electra’s plans to invest $850 million in Clark County and create 1,975 new jobs through a new aircraft production facility.
DeWine and Electra CEO Marc Allen first announced in July that Springfield had been selected as the site for the company’s first production facility for its EL9 Ultra Short aircraft.
The announcement was made at the Farnborough International Airshow in England.
During a special event Wednesday at the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, DeWine signed a proclamation officially welcoming Electra to the Miami Valley.
“Electra’s mission aligns perfectly with the long-standing regional strategy to create the national epicenter of advanced air mobility in Springfield,” said Governor DeWine. “The Miami Valley offers aviation and aerospace companies a combination of assets found nowhere else in the country.”
The EL9 Ultra Short is a nine-passenger, fixed-wing aircraft that uses hybrid-electric propulsion and blown-lift technology.
The design allows the aircraft to take off and land in as little as 150 feet.
Electra CEO Marc Allen said Springfield has the workforce and infrastructure needed to support the company’s plans.
“Hybrid-electric flight will define aviation’s next era, and Springfield will be the home for building it,” said Marc Allen, CEO of Electra. “The region offers the skilled people, aerospace expertise, and infrastructure needed to make Direct Aviation a reality. As we move from design to manufacturing at scale, we have the opportunity to expand the aerospace workforce and strengthen the supplier ecosystem. We are excited to work with Governor DeWine, JobsOhio, the Dayton Development Coalition and all our local partners to showcase a new way to travel that takes people closer to where they want to go.”
JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef said the region’s aviation resources and workforce make it a suitable location for the project.
“Today’s proclamation formally welcomes Electra to the Miami Valley, where years of collaboration have made Ohio a national hub for advanced air mobility and the ideal place to build the EL9 Ultra Short at scale,” said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. “Co-located with the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence and its AAM assets, a proven aerospace workforce, and the research strength of nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio has the resources Electra requires to innovate and grow for decades to come.”
Dayton Development Coalition President and CEO Jeff Hoagland said the event gave state and regional leaders an opportunity to celebrate the company’s commitment to Ohio.
“Back in July, Electra announced plans to establish its first production facility for the EL9 Ultra Short just across the runway at a site in Airpark Ohio. The announcement made global headlines from the Farnborough Air Show in England, and we wanted to bring some of that excitement back to Ohio. Today, Electra will formalize its commitment and give us a chance to celebrate together,” said Dayton Development Coalition President and CEO Jeff Hoagland.
Electra selected Springfield following a year-long national site-selection process that evaluated more than 140 potential locations. The facility will be built at AirPark Ohio, adjacent to Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
The EL9 Ultra Short is designed to support what the company calls “Direct Aviation,” a form of point-to-point air travel that could use locations such as parking lots, barges, and sports fields rather than relying exclusively on traditional airports.
Design work is underway for the new 96-acre facility, with construction expected to begin next year.
The first phase is expected to support production of up to 400 aircraft annually, with a second phase planned to increase capacity to as many as 800 aircraft per year.
The project represents a major planned investment in Ohio’s aviation and aerospace industry, with nearly 2,000 jobs expected to be created as Electra moves toward large-scale aircraft manufacturing.
