Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced that AirBorn, Inc., a manufacturer of specialized electronics for the aerospace industry, will expand its facility in Lake City Borough, Erie County. The project will support the creation and retention of 389 jobs in the area.
“Attracting impactful manufacturing investments to the Erie region is critical for our commonwealth,” Governor Wolf said. “AirBorn’s expansion will make a great impact in the lives of many families in the area, and help Pennsylvania become a leader in innovation. We will continue investing in projects like this to enhance our manufacturing industry and strengthen our economy.”
AirBorn must expand its manufacturing capacity to meet client demand and allow for space for new projects with the defense and medical industries. The project includes the construction of a 30,000-square-foot extension onto its Lake City Borough manufacturing facility, and the purchase of machinery and equipment to expand production. AirBorn plans to invest more than $3.7 million into the project, which is expected to create 249 new, full-time jobs and retain 140 existing jobs over the next three years. Jobs range from production assemblers to quality control and production maintenance personnel.
“AirBorn is proud to be a stable and growing member of the west Erie County community and we are grateful for the overwhelming support of the Governor and his team on this project”, said Jon Nelson, director of operations at AirBorn Lake City. “AirBorn designs and builds mission-critical electronic components and we feel very fortunate to have a solid foundation of professional and quality-minded team members that make a difference in the world every day. This expansion project will enhance AirBorn’s ability to serve our valued customers, at the same time providing rewarding career opportunities for our area and local economy.”
AirBorn received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development for a $500,000 Pennsylvania First grant and a $112,050 workforce development grant to help the company train its existing workers. AirBorn was also encouraged to apply for a $875,000 low-interest loan through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority. The project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, an experienced group of economic development professionals who report directly to the governor and work with businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Pennsylvania, with additional coordination through the Erie County Redevelopment Authority and the Erie Chamber & Growth Partnership.
“We are excited AirBorn has ultimately decided to further their investment in Erie County and are pleased to partner with them in this project,” said Katrina Vincent, vice president and COO at the Erie County Redevelopment Authority. “We fully recognized this was a competitive project and worked diligently with the Governor’s Action Team and our partners to help ensure this continued commitment to Lake City and its growing workforce.”
Founded in 1958, AirBorn provides design and manufacturing of specialized electronics for the aerospace, defense, medical, industrial automation and energy sectors. AirBorn operates 10 facilities, with eight in the U.S., one in Canada, and one in the U.K.
For more information about the Governor’s Action Team or DCED, visit dced.pa.gov.
