Brazil-based aerospace company Embraer S.A. plans to grow its North Texas aircraft maintenance operations by more than 50%, thanks to a new $70 million service center and manufacturing plant to be built in Alliance.
Officials held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 20 at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport to mark the start of construction on the north Fort Worth site where the company will manufacture, repair and overhaul commercial jets.
Officials with Embraer, which began its operations at an Alliance hangar in June, said the new facility will help them respond quickly to customer needs when it opens in 2027. The company makes medium-range E-Jets that seat more than 100. American Airlines, Air Canada and JetBlue are among its customers.
鈥淭his moment marks a new chapter in Embraer鈥檚 journey in the United States, a country where we鈥檝e been for over 46 years,鈥� Francisco Gomes Neto, president and CEO of Embraer, said in a statement. 鈥淲ith an investment of up to $70 million and the creation of 250 new skilled aviation jobs, this facility is a symbol of our long-term commitment to the U.S. market.鈥�
Ross Perot Jr., chairman of Hillwood, the company that developed the airport and the related AllianceTexas development, said Embraer鈥檚 investment will increase business offerings at the airport.
鈥淏y aligning industry, government and education around innovation, we鈥檙e building the infrastructure and talent base that will sustain the region鈥檚 aviation leadership for decades to come,鈥� Perot said.
Perot said he wanted an aircraft manufacturer at Perot Field for decades since losing a base at DFW Airport in the late 1980s.
鈥淲e鈥檙e patient and, fortunately, we have Embraer here, one of the world鈥檚 great brands,鈥� Perot told reporters after the groundbreaking ceremony.
Attracting the company to the airport is significant as North Texas and Fort Worth continue to boom, Perot said, adding that the airport needs more land to keep up with demand.
Mayor Mattie Parker said the groundbreaking marked an exciting milestone for Alliance airport.
鈥淭he airport continues to serve as a hub of innovation and economic opportunity, and Embraer鈥檚 expansion further strengthens Fort Worth鈥檚 position as a global leader in aviation and advanced manufacturing,鈥� Parker said in a statement. 鈥淭his investment brings not only high-quality jobs but also highlights the strength of our business environment and the talent of our local workforce.鈥�
Robert Allen, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership, said Embraer鈥檚 growth elevates the city鈥檚 status in aviation.
鈥淭his is why the governor has declared Fort Worth the Aviation and Defense Capital of Texas,鈥� Allen said.
Denton County Judge Andy Eads said the company鈥檚 expansion 鈥渋s a strong signal of Denton County鈥檚 rising role in the global aviation economy.鈥�
鈥淭hanks to our partnership with Hillwood, companies like Embraer see the value of investing here, fueling regional business growth and long-term economic impact,鈥� he said.
Embraer鈥檚 new Fort Worth service center will be part of the company鈥檚 global network, which includes 18,000 employees, more than 80 authorized service centers and 13 Embraer-owned service centers worldwide.
Embraer will benefit from a seven-year city tax abatement of up to 50% of the incremental value of both the company鈥檚 real and business personal property. The deal is estimated at $1.2 million.
The maintenance facility is expected to generate more than $1.2 million in gross net new taxes for Fort Worth, essentially paying back the incentive in a little more than three years, officials previously told the Fort Worth Report.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org.
News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
This first appeared on and is republished here under a .