This Aerospace Company Just Announced A $1 Billion Investment in Crestview

Aerospace manufacturer Williams International will build a $1 billion aviation gas turbine engine manufacturing facility in Okaloosa County, state and company officials announced Wednesday. The project, planned in phases, will be located at the Shoal River Industrial Park and is expected to create more than 330 jobs.

The investment represents one of the largest economic development projects in Northwest Florida history. Company leadership selected the site after a multi-state search that began in 2023.

The first of three planned construction phases will include a 250,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to break ground later this year and be completed in 2026. Two additional buildings will follow, with another phase planned in 2028 and the final 500,000-square-foot expansion anticipated around 2035 or 2036.

Williams International, based in Pontiac, Michigan, manufactures aviation gas turbine engines for both commercial and military use. The company is known for its automated manufacturing processes and its focus on high-volume production.

“This billion-dollar investment is a major win for the Free State of Florida and for Floridians,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at the announcement. He noted that the company’s commitment is supported in part by a $3.2 million grant from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, which the state awarded to Okaloosa County in 2022 to support manufacturing expansion.

Okaloosa County Commissioner Paul Mixon said the county’s investment in infrastructure at the Shoal River Industrial Park helped attract the project. “This is a monumental project that will have a lasting impact on both Okaloosa County’s economy and the entire region,” Mixon said.

Nathan Sparks, Executive Director of One Okaloosa Economic Development Council, said collaboration among state, regional, and local partners was key to securing the project. “Today’s announcement is a true testament to the importance of preparation, partnerships and persistence,” he said.

Other state organizations involved in the effort include FloridaCommerce, CareerSource Florida, Triumph Gulf Coast, Florida’s Great Northwest, and Space Florida.

Gregg Williams, Chairman, President, and CEO of Williams International, said the company is “very excited about starting [its] next phase of growth in Northwest Florida.”

Triumph Gulf Coast Chair Jay Trumbull, Sr. said the project aligns with the organization’s focus on growing high-paying jobs in the region’s aviation sector. Space Florida President and CEO Rob Long called the announcement an example of Northwest Florida’s role in the state’s expanding aerospace industry.