GE Aerospace plans $4 million investment in Jacksonville facility

Business

GE Aerospace announced March 12 it plans to invest $4 million at its Unison facility in Jacksonville.

The site produces ignition systems, power generation and distribution systems, sensors, switches and other components used in commercial and military aircraft engines.

It is part of $1 billion that GE Aerospace said it will invest in U.S. manufacturing sites and suppliers the company plans in 2025.

GE Aerospace said the investment will go toward additional high-tech equipment and instrumentation, upgrades to labs for testing parts and improvements to the facility.

“You can’t start a jet or helicopter engine without the parts we produce here. This investment will keep us producing critical aircraft components and systems, and keep US manufacturing and the Jacksonville community strong,” Jacksonville Site Leader Steve Grimm said in a news release.

On its website, Unison says it employs 600 people in Jacksonville and occupies 183,000 square feet of space.

It is at 7575 Baymeadows Way in the Baymeadows area west of Interstate 95.

GE Aerospace said the $1 billion investment is nearly double last year’s commitment and will benefit more than two dozen communities across 16 states.

The company said it will hire about 5,000 U.S. workers this year in both manufacturing and engineering roles.

“Investing in manufacturing and innovation is more critical than ever for the future of our industry and the communities where we operate,” said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, in the release. “We are committed to helping our customers modernize and expand their fleets while scaling technologies that will truly define the future of flight. Together, this will keep the United States at the forefront of aerospace leadership.”

GE Engine Services, a division of GE Aircraft Engines, bought Unison Industries Inc. in 2002.