State and business leaders are celebrating the opening of a Leonardo Helicopters facility in Santa Rosa County that will give the region an economic boost with 150 high-paying jobs, they said.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, Leonardo Helicopters CEO Clyde Woltman and others spoke during a press conference at the ribbon-cutting for the company’s new Florida Support Center.
The 113,000-square-foot center in Milton is adjacent to the Naval Air Station Whiting Field and will support the Navy’s TH-73A training fleet.
“This project and as example what can be achieved when private industry and national defense come together with purpose and precision,” Woltman said. “From military readiness to civil and emergency response missions, we are both meeting the operational requirements of our partners and shaping the future of vertical flight.”
The company described how it will use the facility for aftermarket support for Leonardo’s aircraft facility. “The new facility will provide major component repair and overhaul, transmission testing and repair along with new tooling, a full-sized paint booth, and a spacious warehouse for spare parts,” the company said earlier in a press release.
Robert Long, President and CEO of Space Florida, called the facility an important milestone made possible with partnerships.
“Our state has built an environment where aerospace activities are not just welcomed, but accelerated,” Long said. “It’s no surprise that a global leader like Leonardo chose to base these activities right here in the hotbed of military aviation — Northwest Florida.”
DeSantis, who traveled with Leonardo on a trade mission to Italy last year, said the new center will help grow Northwest Florida’s economy.
“We’ve very bullish on this project,” DeSantis said. “We know it’s going to be 150 high-wage jobs, but I think you’re going to continue to see the manufacturing base and the industrial base in this part of the state continue to grow.”
