Joby sets sights on Ohio
California-based electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation will build its first manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio, home of aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright.
Located on a 140-acre site at the James M. Cox Dayton International Airport, the facility is expected to employ up to 2,000 people and be capable of building up to 500 aircraft per year, with potential to expand to up to 2 million square feet of manufacturing space.
The company explained that the selection of Ohio for its new facility was based on an “extensive competitive site selection process and is contingent upon standard due diligence, state and local approvals of incentives, permitting and other legal and regulatory matters as customarily accompany such investment projects.”
The state of Ohio offered incentives worth up to $325 million, in partnership with JobsOhio, and local government entities, and Joby also stands to benefit from low-interest loan guarantees for clean energy projects from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Founder and CEO of Joby JoeBen Bevirt said, “We’re building the future of aviation right where it all started, in Dayton, Ohio. The Wright Brothers harnessed revolutionary technology of their time to open up the skies, and we intend to do the same—this time, bringing quiet and emissions-free flight that we hope will have an equally profound impact on our world.”
“The U.S. continues to lead the way on introducing this technology, with unprecedented levels of support across all areas and levels of government,” Bevirt continued. “We’re incredibly grateful to Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator JD Vance, Representative Mike Turner, and the team at JobsOhio for their support, as well as the representatives of the many other states we worked with during this process.
“Our partnership with Ohio is a great example of how successful public-private partnership amongst industry, local, state and federal government can bring important new technology to life.”
Joby announced plans to start hiring in the next few months, including roles that focus on the development of the Ohio facility and the machining of parts that will initially be used at Joby’s low-volume production line in California. Toyota, Joby’s long-term investor, assisted the company in the design and launch of its first product line and will continue to support Joby as it prepares for production in Ohio. Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin in 2024, with operations beginning in 2025.
Niki Britton
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