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Dive Brief:

• Boeing supplier Williams International is spending more than $1 billion to establish a gas-powered turbine engine manufacturing site in Okaloosa County, Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last week.

• The 1-million-square-foot manufacturing complex will create 336 jobs, with an average annual wage of $69,434, according to county commissioner documents. Construction on the company’s first 250,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin later this month due to “pressing customer demands.”

• The site will be built in three phases. Williams’s first facility is set to be completed in late 2026, followed by another 250,000-square-foot plant expected to be completed in Q4 2028 and a 500,000-square-foot facility set for completion between 2035 and 2036. 

Dive Insight:

Some of the increased customer demand is coming from the Department of Defense.

In December 2024, the agency awarded the company a $253.7 million contract through the Defense Production Act. The award will go toward Williams’ ability to increase engine production capacity to meet the DOD’s growing demand for various weapon systems, such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin-made missiles. The money was funded through legislation addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and continues the U.S.’s countermeasures efforts against China.

“With unprecedented demand for its products, and new markets rapidly emerging, the industry and the Company see substantial growth available in the next decade,” Williams said to the county commissioners. “The site in Okaloosa County is an ideal fit to enable this expansion and growth.” 

The Okaloosa campus will be strategically located in Shoal River Industrial Park, a new development near Crestview, Florida, situated near state and major highways, according to the One Okaloosa County Economic Development Council website.

The site is also conveniently located near the Ports of Pensacola and Panama City, two airports, the Florida Gulf and Atlantic rail, as well as Williams’ major customers like Boeing and Lockheed Martin and the Eglin Air Force Base.

The aviation engine maker is also spending more than $1 billion to expand its manufacturing plant in Ogden, Utah, according to the state’s Office of Economic Opportunity. Williams established the Ogden facility in 1978 and opted to expand capacity in 2020 after one of its Mexico plants caught fire, according to city council documents.