Williams International plans to invest more than $1 billion to build a high-volume aviation gas turbine engine manufacturing plant at the Shoal River Industrial Park in Crestview, Florida. The facility will open in 2026, with another section slated to come online in 2028 and the final one in 2035/2036. The state of Florida chipped in $3.2 million from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, and the development is expected to generate more than 330 jobs.
“Northwest Florida is proving itself to be a rising hub for aerospace activity and an essential part of Florida’s expanding aerospace ecosystem,” said Space Florida president and CEO Rob Long. “Williams International’s expansion in this community is a stellar example of how new opportunities for innovation and investment are being built in every corner of the state—reinforcing all of Florida as the global and interplanetary center for aerospace commerce.”
Phase one of the Williams International plan in Florida includes a 250,000-sq-ft facility, and the final portion in 2035/2036 will enclose 500,000 sq ft. This will add to the company’s existing plants in Pontiac, Michigan, and in Ogden, Utah. The latter is also being expanded.
Williams International manufactures military and civil turbine engines, including the FJ33 and FJ44 series for business jets such as the Cirrus Vision Jet, Beechcraft Premier, various Cessna CitationJets, and Pilatus PC-24.