PROJECT THUNDERBIRD

The Announcement

On Wednesday, January 26, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper announced that Boom Supersonic had chosen Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) as the location where it will manufacture its new supersonic passenger aircraft, Overture, which will be capable of flying at twice the speed of today’s fastest passenger jets.

The Overture “Superfactory” will begin production in 2024. The first Overture aircraft is slated to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026, and carry its first passengers by 2029. Commercial interest in Overture includes orders and options from multiple airlines, and the company is also working with the United States Air Force on government applications of the aircraft.

Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants

However, this project began decades earlier for the airport and the Triad. Without the foresight, strategy, and decisions of leaders from 10, 20, and even 50 years ago, the airport would not be competitive for a project like Boom. Leaders like former director Ted Johnson, former board members and chairs like Steve Showfety, Henry Isaacson, Hudnall Christopher, Stanley Frank, and all the way back to Caesar Cone.

The vision of these leaders led to the acquisition of thousands of acres of land, the attraction of companies like FedEx, Honda, HAECO, and Textron, and the construction of a third runway which opened up much of the land now marketed to the community.

LASER - FOCUSED MISSION

Throughout the last 12 years, PTI was very deliberate in its mission to make the airport the location of choice for the aerospace industry -- developing a clear plan of action; acquiring additional land; undertaking the required environmental analysis; performing earthwork to grade the sites; providing airside and landside access; bringing utilities to the sites; and planning for various types of possible demand and users.

While reflecting on this mission, PTI Director Kevin Baker says, “Early in my career, a mentor said to me: ‘Baker, there are three parts to any project. Scope, budget, and schedule. The client gets to pick TWO of those’.” Baker continued: “We realized to win major projects, we had to find a way to allow potential tenants to pick all three. The site they wanted, at a reasonable cost, and ready when needed.”

The most important of the three was schedule. The years of work put into preparing is what enables the airport to offer a company a quick path to bring their products to market. Now, the airport has nearly 1,000 acres of land ready for customers in the aerospace industry.

Project Thunderbird

In early 2021, Site Selection Group called Brent Christensen, President & CEO at the Greensboro Chamber, and indicated interest in PTI for the Boom project under the code name “Thunderbird”. This began a nearly nine-month pursuit during which the airport and the community would have to clear numerous high hurdles to remain in contention.

PTI faced heavy competition for the Boom Supersonic project from multiple airports in multiple states. Boom ultimately chose PTI and the Triad because of the transportation and airport infrastructure, pipeline of skilled labor, available educational opportunities, business-friendly environment, and last but not least, because of a significant incentive package and investment by the State of North Carolina.

The North Carolina legislature approved $106.7 million for improvements at PTI to help secure the aerospace manufacturer. In addition, the state has also approved an $87.3 million Jobs Development Investment Grant (JDIG) for the company, subject to Boom meeting employment and investment goals set out by the State. Under the terms of the grant, the company will invest $500 million by 2030.

Partnerships

During one of the Project Thunderbird visits, Christensen told the company the Piedmont Triad has the “Power of Three”. We don’t just have one downtown, we’ve got three. We’ve got High Point, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro. We’ve got three different communities that all that rely upon and support this airport, and during that same Thunderbird visit, all three mayors participated, and demonstrated regional solidarity to Boom Supersonic Founder and CEO, Blake Scholl. It was a powerful message.

In addition to having the support of the three cities, two of the region’s economic development entities, the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce and the Piedmont Triad Partnership, presented a united voice with PTI, to bring this victory home. Both entities are committed to bring new opportunities to our community and helping Greensbor and the Triad stay on the cutting edge of innovation and aerospace technology.

But most notably, we appreciate the help of Governor Cooper, Secretary of Commerce Machelle Sanders, the Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and the state legislature, particularly President Pro Tem of the Senate Phil Berger and Speaker Tim Moore. All of these individuals and organizations worked in a bi-partisan way, to pull in the same direction all for the benefit of North Carolina, the Triad, and PTI.

Economic Impact

The Overture Superfactory campus at PTI will create 1,761 jobs and bring an inthrough 2030. The project will bring an investment of more than $500 million through 2030. Annual salaries for the new jobs created by Boom will vary by position and will average $68,792.

To develop the next generation of supersonic professionals, Boom will also create 200 internships through 2032 for students who attend publicly funded North Carolina universities, community colleges, or technical schools.

Looking Forward

Boom’s leadership team, including CEO Blake Scholl, returned to the Triad on December 12 to announce Florida Turbine Technologies, a business unit of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, as its engine design team. GE Additive and Standard Aero are also involved in the engine development and on-going maintenance.