Pratt & Whitney, a division of Raytheon Technologies Corp., plans to invest at least $650 million through 2027 in a turbine airfoil production facility in Asheville, N.C. The 1,000,000-square-foot facility will house an advanced casting foundry for the production of turbine airfoils and conduct machining, coating and finishing of airfoils on-site. The investment is intended to create 800 new jobs through 2027 in Buncombe County.

The facility will implement best-in-class manufacturing technologies and processes exemplifying Industry 4.0 manufacturing principles and will complement existing turbine airfoil work that is done across the company’s facilities. According to Pratt & Whitney, turbine airfoils are a critical component across its engine portfolio and demand will increase significantly as the market recovers over the next several years.