GREENSBORO, NC (WGHP) – It’s now official: Marshall Aerospace, a UK-based military aircraft contractor, will bring hundreds of high-paying jobs for a maintenance facility it will build at Piedmont Triad International Airport.

The Economic Investment Committee of the North Carolina Department of Commerce approved grants totaling $3.8 million to ensure Marshall would invest $50 million to build a C-130 maintenance facility at PTI.

Crew members from the US Marines are pictured next to a C-130 transport aircraft. This is the type of aircraft that Marshall Aerospace would repair and maintain in Greensboro. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) (JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)

This is not a huge surprise, given that Greensboro and Guilford County already had approved $550,000 in additional grants and that Marshall had made known its interest in Greensboro. PTI has scheduled for later today.

Marshall, which provides maintenance, repair and overhaul for the C130 aircraft flown by the United States Marine Corps, among other contractors, would build a facility with six repair bays and a plan to expand to eight in Phase 2 to serve existing and future contacts, the EIC was told.

“We believe Greensboro is the ideal home of our U.S. Aerospace operations and are very grateful for the exceptional support and partnership we have received from Greensboro City Council and the State Government of North Carolina,” Marshall Group CEO Kathy Jenkins said in a release from the governor’s office. “We are excited to put over 55 years of C-130 experience to work in providing an unmatched standard of in-country support for existing and new US-based partners and customers.”

The company would fill 243 positions in Greensboro between 2024 and 2027, and the average annual salary would be $74,556.

The Walden projection of economic impact suggests that, by 2035, the venture will add $1.9 billion to the state’s gross domestic product and contribute $53.8 million to state revenue.

State Rep. John Faircloth (R-High Point)
State Sen. Michael Garrett (D-Greensboro)

State Sen. Michael Garrett (D-Greensboro) said in the release that Marshall’s “vote of confidence in Guildford County, the City of Greensboro, and in North Carolina makes us very proud.”

Said state Rep. John Faircloth (R-High Point): “I’d like to congratulate the many people and organizations that have worked tirelessly to make today’s announcement possible.”

The company originally considered more than 30 locations and narrowed its finalists to sites in Alabama, Kansas, Missouri and North Carolina. The Department of Commerce said that factors in that decision were workforce, training & development, supply chain links and the political and economic landscape.

“The aviation and aerospace sector continues to prove its significant role in the North Carolina economy,” Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders said in the release. “Companies around the world like Marshall Aerospace respect and are rewarding our state’s commitment to the specialized workforce development programs that bring success in today’s global economy.”

Gov. Roy Cooper said the state’s reputation in the aerospace category “continues to grow all around the world.”

Marshall will join Boom Supersonic, HondaJet, Cessna, HAECO, FedEx and numerous other aerospace-related contractors at PTI.

It’s unclear precisely where on the airport’s property Marshall’s facility might be located or how much acreage might be required. But there are parcels on both the north and south sides of Interstate 73 that have been cleared for development.