Pratt & Whitney set to invest more than $200 million in Columbus, says Georgia Gov. Kemp

Pratt & Whitney, a business specializing in aircraft and helicopter engines, is investing $206 million in Muscogee County and bringing almost 400 jobs as it expands operations.

Governor Brian Kemp announced the new while in France attending the Paris Air Show.

Georgia is one of the top five exporters of aerospace products in the nation, Kemp said in a news release, with the industry bringing in $9.2 billion in 2022.

“From the flights that go through the world’s most utilized airport to the engines in the very airplanes, the Peach State is crucial to the movement of goods and products,” he said. “Pratt & Whitney’s decision to expand will only further that reputation.”

The Pratt & Whitney Columbus facility opened in 1984 and includes the Columbus Engine Center and Columbus Forge. The Columbus Engine Center maintains engines for the Embraer E-Jets E2, Airbus A220 and the Airbus A320neo aircraft families, according to the release. It also maintains the F117 and F100 military engines.

The Columbus Forge produces compressor airfoils and other components for the company’s commercial and military engines.

“Pratt & Whitney has been doing business in Georgia for nearly 40 years, and in that time, our Columbus business has grown from a small manufacturing facility to a large, state-of-the-art manufacturing and overhaul center, where we employ approximately 2,000 employees,” Shane Eddy, president of Pratt & Whitney, said in the release.

The company’s expansion is expected to be completed by 2028 and it will be hiring engineers, mechanics and operators.

A business friendly environment

Columbus is striving to be a top location for businesses to locate and expand, Heath Schondelmayer, chair of the Board for the Development Authority of Columbus, said in the release.

“State partnerships and a focus on workforce development make this possible,” Schondelmayer said. “The success of one of Columbus, Georgia’s largest employers is a major win in our efforts to grow quality jobs and attract new private investment.”

The Pratt & Whitney expansion news comes a month after the California-based company Sierra Pacific Windows announced plans to expand its own operations in Phenix City — a move that will also bring hundreds of jobs to the Chattahoochee Valley area.

Improving the economy for residents and businesses in Columbus is among his top priorities, Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said in the release.

“This announcement of new jobs and new investment is an example of the economic growth that Columbus is poised to capture,” he said. “And we appreciate Pratt & Whitney, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and the Development Authority of Columbus for their efforts to make this a reality.”