Arizona News Feed

MESA, AZ (July 17, 2025) – Today, Hadrian, the advanced manufacturing company building AI-powered factories for America, announced plans to establish a large-scale manufacturing and software hub, known as Factory 3 (F3) in Mesa, Arizona. The 270,000-square foot facility represents a $200 million investment, which will support raw materials to complete mission-critical systems. Expected to be fully operational in early 2026, the facility will create 350 new jobs. In addition, Hadrian announced a total $260 million in new capital and expansions of its footprint in California and Arizona, which will support significant new manufacturing space, expanded R&D capacity, and dedicated teams focused on shipbuilding and naval defense production.

PHOENIX, AZ (July 8, 2025) – The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), in partnership with the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center (SW MAC) today announced the launch of the Arizona Office of Defense Innovation (ODI), a new public-private partnership that will expand Arizona’s aerospace and defense leadership. Governor Hobbs and the Arizona Legislature established the Arizona Office of Defense Innovation through the recently enacted Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The Office will be housed within the ACA and serve as a critical hub to coordinate efforts between state agencies, defense contractors, academia, innovators, and the DoD.

PHOENIX, AZ (June 17, 2025) – As the Paris Air Show kicks off, Arizona’s premier aerospace and defense (A&D) attractiveness is once again on the global stage. Home to some of the world’s largest A&D companies, innovative startups, and next-generation technologies and manufacturing, Arizona is at the forefront of the aerospace and defense industry. Over the last five years, Arizona has attracted more than 60 expansions in the aerospace and defense sector, representing over $2.8 billion in investment and over 12,500 new jobs. Arizona also boasts a diverse supply chain of more than 1,250 A&D companies that include industry leaders such as Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, Bombardier, Blue Origin, and Nammo.

MESA, AZ (January 9, 2025) — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced the official opening of its newest Customer Support service center at Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona. To mark the occasion, state and local dignitaries, community partners, and Gulfstream leaders and employees gathered for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to formally welcome customers to the new Mesa Service Center. Gulfstream has invested more than $130 million in the 225,000-square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Mesa, which was originally announced in 2021. Gulfstream’s Mesa operations have already brought more than 250 new jobs to the region, with an additional 100 more expected this year. 

TEMPE, AZ (August 6, 2024) – Setna iO, a global aftermarket aircraft part supplier, and its sister company Setnix, a premier MRO repair station, today announced the expansion of its aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul operations with the acquisition of a new facility in Tempe, Arizona. The newly acquired facility in Tempe spans 112,000-square-feet – over three times the size of the previous 30,000-square-foot location. The new facility will enable Setna iO and Setnix to expand its operations and equipment from 44 served product lines to over 100 within a year, including main engine services. The expansion is set to create more than 130 new jobs and is expected to be fully operational in 2025.

MARANA, AZ (March 29, 2024) – Ascent Aviation Services, one of the largest independent aircraft aftermarket services providers in the world, broke ground today at Pinal Airpark in Marana, Arizona, on two new wide-body aircraft hangars to establish a North American conversion site to carry out passenger-to-freighter conversions and heavy maintenance. Representing a capital investment of $55 million, the site will support more than 300 new aviation jobs. Upon completion, the Marana operation will convert two lines of Boeing B777-300ER aircraft for Israel Aerospace Industries. 

TUCSON, AZ (February 22, 2024) — The MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHIRJ), a maintenance, repair, and overhaul services provider to airline fleets globally, is planning to expand its workforce at Tucson International Airport by adding 100 jobs this year, and more than 250 over the course of three years. MHIRJ intends to increase capacity to meet customer demand for the maintenance and operational support of the CRJ and other products by activating additional maintenance lines. The CRJ Series aircraft is the benchmark aircraft utilized in regional aviation, and MHIRJ provides its services for these aircraft in Tucson, AZ, and Bridgeport, WV.

PHOENIX, AZ (February 6, 2024) – Plug and Play accelerateAZ, a program of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), announced today NXP® Semiconductors as the newest corporate partner in the Advanced Manufacturing Accelerator program, joining previously-announced partners Intel, Honeywell Aerospace, and Raytheon Missiles & Defense. Plug and Play accelerateAZ will connect Advanced Manufacturing Accelerator program startups to NXP Semiconductors to foster further collaboration.

SIERRA VISTA, AZ (January 31, 2024) – BlackStar Orbital Technologies Corporation, headquartered on the Florida space coast, today announced the establishment of a new engineering and manufacturing facility in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Located at Sierra Vista Municipal Airport, the facility is set to be operational by 2026. This facility is poised to be a cornerstone for the development and production of the BlackStar Spacecraft, the company's innovative spaceplane-satellite hybrid. The Sierra Vista facility represents a $7.1 million investment, creating over 50 new jobs with dedicated hangar space for the BlackStar SpaceDrone.

MARANA, AZ (September 26, 2023) – Marana Aerospace Solutions (Ascent Aviation Services) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have signed a long-term agreement to establish a conversion site and carry out passenger-to-freighter conversions on Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. IAI plans to have Ascent convert two lines of Boeing B777-300ER aircraft, starting in 2024 in Ascent’s facilities located in Marana, Arizona. To support the program, Ascent will build two new widebody hangars with pre-construction work having already commenced. Ascent's expansion will create hundreds of new jobs.

PHOENIX, AZ (April 26, 2023) – Blue Origin, a private space company, today celebrated the grand opening of its new office in Phoenix, Arizona. The new 43,288-square-foot office will contribute to avionics, systems engineering, and supply chain management across Blue Origin’s programs. Blue Origin has already hired more than 100 people for its Phoenix office and expects to hire hundreds more.

Phoenix Business Journal: A United Kingdom-based company will start tearing apart airplanes in a new facility south of the Valley at the Coolidge Municipal Airport. Ecube, which has facilities in Wales and in Spain, announced this month it started its operations in Coolidge — making it the only aircraft end-of-life solutions company that operates in both Europe and North America. 

GILBERT, AZ (April 22, 2022) – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) today marked the completion of its expansion of the Satellite Manufacturing facility at its Gilbert, Arizona campus. The expansion adds 120,000-square-feet to the existing 135,000-square-foot facility, nearly doubling the site’s production capacity to meet the company’s growing backlog of satellite orders.

ORO VALLEY, AZ — Leonardo Electronics US Inc.(LEI), a provider of next-gen technologies for defense, security, medical, and industrial applications and a US subsidiary of Leonardo, announced today plans to expand its regional presence in Oro Valley, Arizona, north of Tucson. Leonardo Electronics US Inc. has purchased 12 acres in Innovation Park and is planning the construction of a new state-of-the-art semiconductor laser manufacturing facility.

GOODYEAR, AZ — The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) announced today that United Aviate Academy (UAA), a wholly owned subsidiary of United Airlines, will lease a state-of-the-art training facility at Phoenix Goodyear Airport. United Aviate Academy will welcome its inaugural class of aspiring pilots to the facility on Dec. 6.

MESA, AZ — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced today it will build a new aircraft service center in Mesa. Gulfstream’s first facility in Arizona will expand the company’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities in the region, creating hundreds of jobs. The sustainable facility is expected to open in 2023.