At an event held at 1 p.m. at Piedmont Triad International Airport, JetZero has officially announced plans to construct a new factory in Greensboro, expected to generate nearly 15,000 jobs and lead to billions in economic benefits.
This significant development was disclosed during a meeting of the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee, which endorsed moving the project forward. During the meeting on Thursday morning, it was revealed that JetZero aims to create 14,564 jobs within Guilford County between 2027 and 2036, with an average salary of $89,340 per position. This job creation marks the largest corporate investment in North Carolina’s history, according to Governor Josh Stein.
“North Carolina is not only first in flight,” Stein stated at the announcement event at PTI. “We are also the future of flight.”
The company plans to invest $4.7 billion in Guilford County by the end of 2036. In support of this initiative, JetZero will receive a substantial incentive package from the state, valued at $1.5 billion, along with additional incentives from the municipalities of Greensboro and Guilford County. The Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved a $75 million incentive plan for JetZero during their Thursday meeting. Similarly, the Greensboro City Council approved a plan to provide JetZero $1,000 for each job created, totaling a maximum of $14.564 million.
Locating the factory has been a lengthy process for JetZero, which required over a year to secure its site. The Economic Investment Committee noted that the company needed a 10,000-foot runway and associated infrastructural availability.
Founded in 2021, JetZero, based in California, has quickly garnered contracts from major customers, including the U.S. Air Force, United Airlines, Delta, and Alaska Airlines. Although the company has not yet produced any aircraft, JetZero aims to have a model ready for testing by 2027.
The company’s innovative blended-wing-body aircraft, designated as Z4, is designed to achieve 50% greater fuel efficiency than conventional jets while reducing carbon emissions by the same percentage. Production of these aircraft will take place at the new factory in Greensboro.
“North Carolina offers the ideal combination of talent, infrastructure, and forward-thinking leadership to support our mission to reshape aviation,” said Tom O’Leary, CEO and co-founder of JetZero. He added, “This facility is a critical milestone in bringing our all-wing Z4 to market. I applaud the leadership of Governor Josh Stein and his team, the North Carolina General Assembly, and all local leaders and organizations for their support in bringing JetZero to North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation.”
The Economic Investment Committee also announced that JetZero will establish a cutting-edge innovation center, positioning it as a premier hub for stitched composite structures, which will advance the research and development of high-performance composite materials and manufacturing techniques.
Rumors surrounding JetZero’s plans for a new factory began circulating in April when the company named Piedmont Triad International Airport as one of five potential locations. By May, Greensboro had made the top three contenders.
JetZero follows another notable aviation venture, Boom Supersonic, which opened a supersonic airliner factory near Piedmont Triad International Airport in 2024. Stein noted that Thursday’s announcement could lead to a potential economic impact of $250 billion for North Carolina.