Overview and Outlook
Metro Little Rock is home to Dassault Falcon Jet Corporation and Hawker Beechcraft, two internationally recognized aircraft completion centers. Encouraged by regional support of entrepreneurial activities, other supply businesses have since opened to supply these and similar businesses within the industry cluster.
Universities, community colleges and other learning centers are expanding their aviation programs to educate and train skilled workers. The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) College of Engineering and Information Technology is active in cooperating with aviation firms to develop engineers and engineering programs. The University of Central Arkansas provides a pre-engineering program. The Metro Little Rock region welcomes workers and their families from other areas in and out of state.
As aerospace continues to rebound and expand, the Metro Little Rock Alliance will aggressively recruit other high profile companies and new parts suppliers, maintenance and repair businesses to strengthen the aviation and aerospace cluster.
Research and development in aircraft manufacturing abounds with a focus on product development. Major funding for underlying aerospace technologies is available from the Department of Defense and NASA.
Site Selection Considerations
Sites and Infrastructure: The Metro Little Rock region has available sites that will accommodate facilities up to several hundred thousand or millions of square feet. These sites have ample access to competitively priced utilities complimented by excellent air, road, rail and water transportation.
Incentives: These include but are not limited to tax abatements, tax credits, worker-training grants and programs and infrastructure improvements.
Central Location: An important consideration is that maintenance facilities located in the Metro Little Rock region can attract customers from across a large region due to short flight times to the region.
Workforce: Skilled and semi-skilled workers are readily available. Universities, community colleges and trade schools are educating and training workers in advanced manufacturing disciplines. In addition, the Little Rock Air Force Base, home of the 314th Airlift Wing, is an important source of expertise and labor from retiring maintenance and support personnel.
The quality of life is supported by a low cost of living, a variety of recreational activities and numerous arts and cultural opportunities.
Valuable Regional Resources
The Metro Little Rock region is one of the world's largest jet completion centers. It is noteworthy that the region's aerospace industry weathered the downturn experienced in other segments of the aircraft industry because Metro Little Rock is a competitive location and the region fully supports its aviation employers.
Targeted aerospace cluster resources include:
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Technically-skilled available labor
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Arkansas Aviation Technologies Center
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Numerous Community College Technical Training Programs
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Arkansas Technical Careers Student Loan Forgiveness Program
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Aerospace Education Center (public and private partnership to prepare students) for jobs in emerging technology fields.
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UALR Cyber College Engineering programs
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Utility rates among the most competitive in the U.S.
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Financial incentives and loan programs to support industry expansion needs
Success Stories
Watch a short video interview with Christian Sasso, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Falcon Jet.
Hi-Res Video
Lo-Res Video
Existing Companies
Dassault Falcon Jet - www.falconjet.com/index_flash.jsp
Hawker Beechcraft - www.hawkerbeechcraft.com
Little Rock National Airport - www.fly-lit.com
Audio International - www.audiointl.com/
SysAir Designs - http://sysair.com/
Aviation Technologies Center (AATC) - www.arkansasaviation.org/
UALR’s College of Engineering & Information Technology - http://technologize.ualr.edu/
Space Photonics - www.spacephotonics.com/
The Triumph Group - www.triumphgroup.com
Reebaire - www.reebaire.com