Aircraft engine manufacturer to give storm-ravaged Buncombe County an economic lift

Pratt & Whitney employee works on aircraft engine. (Photo: Pratt & Whitney)
Pratt and Whitney's announced expansion of its turbine airfoil manufacturing plant in Buncombe County will give the region a much-needed economic boost, Gov. Josh Stein said on Tuesday. The expansion will create 325 additional jobs and includes an additional investment of $285 million in Asheville, the governor announced.
'Western North Carolina's economy took it on the chin after Hurricane Helene, yet still it remains an incredible place to work and do business,' Stein said in a statement. 'Pratt & Whitney clearly sees the opportunities in North Carolina and the strength of our highly skilled workforce.'
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture, and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. The company's Asheville facility produces high-tech turbine airfoils, which are an important component in aircraft jet engines. The company's new project will expand its production capacity to meet growing customer demand, Pratt & Whitney officials said.
'This latest round of investment allows us to add critical process elements for the manufacture of turbine airfoils and increase the overall delivery output of this facility, enabling us to deliver on our customer commitments while creating hundreds of new jobs in the Asheville community,' said Dan Field, Asheville general manager for Pratt & Whitney.
The N.C. Department of Commerce led the state's support for the company during its site evaluation and decision-making process. The average salary for the new positions will be $62,413, compared with an average Buncombe County wage of $55,416. The new positions will bring an annual payroll impact to the community of more than $20 million per year.
'The aviation industry is a key driver of North Carolina's economic success and Pratt & Whitney's decision strengthens our aerospace ecosystem substantially,' said Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. 'We will continue to invest in support systems, like our community colleges and universities, that help employers like Pratt & Whitney succeed in our state—and bolster Western NC's economy.'
The company's project in North Carolina will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the state's Economic Investment Committee. Over the life of the 12-year grant, the project is estimated to grow the state's economy by nearly $2.1 billion.
Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by new jobs and the capital investment, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $4.2 million over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets.
Because Pratt & Whitney is expanding in Buncombe County, which is classified by the state's economic tier system as Tier 3, the company's JDIG agreement also calls for moving $1.4 million into the state's Industrial Development Fund – Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business. Tier 3 counties are those with the least amount of economic stress. The Utility Account helps counties that are more economically challenged.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Associated Press

3 days ago

• Associated Press

Jamf unveils 2025 Security 360 Report: A strategic look at Mac and mobile security risks

Report identifies phishing, infostealers, and OS vulnerabilities as top concerns for organizations HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 19 June 2025 -Jamf (NASDAQ: JAMF), the standard in managing and securing Apple at work, today released its Security 360 Report, separated into analyses for mobile and macOS environments. The report spotlights the risks organizations are facing and offers insights for security leaders to consider when protecting their organizations at the user, device, application and network levels. 'Our goal with this research is to inform security leaders about the risks impacting their organizations – whether those risks impact Mac or mobile – and provide tangible recommendations for safeguarding their organizations against increasingly sophisticated attacks,' said Josh Stein, VP of Product Strategy at Jamf. 'Age-old threats like phishing remain extremely prevalent and cannot be can threats skyrocketing in popularity like infostealers. Jamf remains deeply committed to continuous threat research to not only protect our customers but also contribute valuable insights to the broader security community.' Threat trends facing mobile environments For many employees, mobile devices are the sole devices used at work. Regardless of occupation, the modern workplace is about empowering employees to connect from anywhere, at any time and on any device. This requires raising awareness about the most pervasive threats facing mobile devices and taking tangible steps to keep bad actors at bay. Jamf's mobile device threat analysis is structured into four categories found to be the highest priorities for organizations worldwide. Mobile phishing With mobile devices keeping us connected everywhere, attackers' reach continues to expand. Over 12 months, Jamf identified approximately 10 million phishing attacks, discovered that 25% of organizations were impacted by a social engineering attack, and 1 in 10 users clicked on a malicious phishing link. Training programs can be extremely valuable in mitigating phishing attacks, as can adopting a layered approach with zero-trust methodology. Vulnerability management Jamf discovered that 32% of organizations operate at least one device with critical vulnerabilities and 55.1% of mobile devices used at work are running on a vulnerable operating system (OS). Both Apple and Google routinely provide security updates to patch known vulnerabilities, and the best way to mitigate damage is to update devices accordingly. Application risk and malware Earlier this year, Jamf published research on a Transparency, Consent and Control (TCC) bypass vulnerability affecting iOS devices and published a demonstration of how a 'sideloaded' app (an app from a third-party app store) can infringe on users' privacy. The harsh reality is that using the latest OS is still not enough to protect your organization – good security practices must extend to the application layer as well. Malware and spyware High-profile users such as journalists, politicians and diplomats are often targeted by mercenary spyware attacks. Just last year, Apple sent notices of spyware compromise to users in approximately 100 countries. While malware is not as pervasive on mobile devices, when discovered, it is found to be extremely advanced and targeted. Organizations must treat mobile like every other endpoint and avoid getting complacent about the threat of mobile malware. Threat trends facing macOS environments What began as a machine for executives and creatives is becoming increasingly ingrained into the daily operations of enterprises across all industries worldwide. The threat landscape for Mac is more diverse than ever, and bad actors are only getting more creative with their attack methodologies. Jamf's Mac threat report analyzes the threat landscape affecting Macs and organizes the findings into three main categories: Application risk and malware Jamf discovered that infostealers accounted for 28.36% of all Mac malware Jamf examined, skyrocketing from accounting for just 0.25% in last year's report. Jamf's research is aligned with these findings. Employees of organizations in high-profile industries (like crypto), must remain vigilant from both a training and security tool standpoint. Vulnerability management Jamf Threat Labs has dispelled the myth that Mac is invincible multiple times, including just last year when the team discovered a vulnerability inGatekeeper, a crucial component blocking apps downloaded from the internet that don't have a valid developer ID. Having the right controls and training is crucial for mitigating risks caused by vulnerabilities on macOS. Social engineering With Macs becoming more common at work, the attack surface continues to expand. Phishing is typically thought of as email-specific, which is far from the truth. In fact, Jamf Threat Labs published research discussing a campaign from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that uses LinkedIn messaging as an initial lure. Training employees in the various forms of phishing that can impact the Mac environment is critical for avoiding fallout. Methodology Jamf examined 1.4 million devices protected by Jamf. The analysis was carried out in the first quarter of 2025, revisiting the prior 12-month period and spanning globally across 90 countries and multiple platforms – specifically, iOS and iPadOS and Android devices for mobile as well as Macs. The analysis in this report is informed by Jamf's Threat Intelligence, a broad collection of insights that are derived from original threat research, real-world usage metrics, along with news analysis and data feeds. Hashtag: #Jamf The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Jamf Jamf's purpose is to simplify work by helping organizations manage and secure an Apple experience that end users love and organizations trust. Jamf is the only company in the world that provides a complete management and security solution for an Apple-first environment that is enterprise secure, consumer simple and protects personal privacy. To learn more, visit

Axios

4 days ago

• Axios

Support for regulating psychoactive hemp gains momentum in NC

Bipartisan support for restricting hemp in North Carolina is gaining steam, with GOP lawmakers unveiling yet another proposal Tuesday that would regulate intoxicating weed-like products in the state. Why it matters: The new legislation, backed by the state's most powerful Republican, is one of several bills proposed in recent months that would crack down on psychoactive hemp products in North Carolina. Though marijuana remains illegal in any form, the state is among the most lenient in the country in its regulation of hemp-derived consumables, but a bipartisan movement to change that has been building. What they're saying: "Stores selling these hemp products are popping up in towns across North Carolina, and children are getting ahold of these products," Senate Leader Phil Berger said in a press release about the bill Monday night. "Without these regulations, the availability of these dangerous products is only going to get worse." Driving the news: On Tuesday morning, Republican lawmakers in North Carolina's state Senate rolled out the most restrictive yet viable proposal yet to regulate hemp while moving to ban products made with any hemp-derived cannabinoids other than delta-9, the psychoactive component of marijuana. The bill would also set age and dosage limits and licensing and testing standards for sellers and manufacturers. Yes, but: It would not legalize marijuana, however — a proposal that has been floated in previous sessions but has yet to surface this year. Flashback: "It's really ironic that in some ways, the most liberal, pro-marijuana adult-use state in the country is North Carolina," Democratic Gov. Josh Stein told WRAL in an exclusive interview earlier this month, in which he also announced he was launching a task force to explore regulations on THC products and marijuana legalization "It's not Colorado, it's not Massachusetts, it's not these states that legalized it and then created a regulatory structure to sell it. It's North Carolina, where we have no rules whatsoever." State of play: As of now, the state has no limits — or age restrictions — on any cannabinoids with psychoactive effects much like those of THC, including delta-9. The new bill unveiled Tuesday, however, would outright ban "synthetic" high-inducing hemp products that can be found on shelves just a few blocks from the state legislature, including delta-8, THC-A, delta-7 and delta-10. The bill also appears to ban CBD, another hemp-derived cannabinoid. The cannabis plant has more than 100 cannabinoids. Some of them produce a weed-like high, while others, like CBD, are not. The other side: House Rules Chairman Rep. John Bell, who is the president of CBD and hemp manufacturer Asterra Labs, is "disappointed in the bill," he told Axios in a text message Tuesday. "This bill will destroy the hemp industry and move it out of state. Not one stakeholder was involved." He had not expressed the same opposition to another bill proposed earlier this session that would regulate his industry, though he told Axios at the time that the legislation wouldn't necessarily be a slam dunk for his company because it would implement new licensing fees and require changes to how it packages its products, for example. Democrats and Republicans alike expressed support for the new legislation, however, when it was unveiled in a committee hearing Tuesday morning. North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson also attended the committee meeting. "This is long overdue," Jackson, a Democrat, told lawmakers. "One of the major themes in terms of feedback that I've gotten from law enforcement and from families over the last six months has been about this issue — and usually happens when a family learns that it is truly the Wild West, at least with respect to what children are allowed to buy in these places."

UPI

4 days ago

• UPI

Tampa Bay Rays negotiating potential sale to Jacksonville developer

The Tampa Bay Rays are playing home games this season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., due to damage Tropicana Field sustained from hurricanes. File Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI | License Photo June 18 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Rays are in advanced talks to sell the franchise to a group led by a Jacksonville, Fla.-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told UPI on Wednesday. Sources told Sportico, MLB Network and the New York Post that Zalupski signed a letter of intent to purchase the franchise, which is valued at roughly $1.7 billion. The Rays' current principal owner, Stu Sternberg, bought the team for $200 million 2004. The Rays said in a statement Wednesday that they recently "commenced exclusive discussions" with a group led by Zalupski, Bill Cosgrove, Ken Babby and Tampa Bay investors. "Neither the Rays, nor the group, will have further comment during the discussions," the Rays said. The Rays went 80-82 last year, posting a losing record for just the fifth time in 17 seasons. They are 40-33 this season. The Rays are playing home games this season at George Steinbrenner Field -- the New York Yankees' spring training site in Tampa, Fla., -- because of damage Tropicana Field from Hurricanes Milton and Helene. The Rays announced last month that they canceled plans to build a new development and ballpark project. Delays from negotiations and hurricane damage hindered their ability to move to a new home. The St. Petersburg City Council said in November that it will cost nearly $66 million to repair Tropicana Field in time for the 2026 season.