There have been a lot of unexpected headlines and press lately about Spike Aerospace moving to Washington State and building a manufacturing facility there for the S-512 Quiet Supersonic Jet. It is time to set the record straight; perhaps this is long overdue.
Spike Aerospace is in the very early stages of selecting a location for our permanent manufacturing site. We are in very early discussions with a number of state and regional officials regarding possible locations in their areas. We have also considered the possibility of manufacturing outside of the United States. However, our focus has been on seven or eight states, and several locations with those states. The circles on the map above show just a few regions that are of interest to us at this time. These are not the only locations we are exploring.
This is a very involved process, and it will take some time to narrow down the list to a few “semi-finalist” locations. At that point, we will undertake far more detailed evaluations including acquisition costs, environmental impact, workforce cost/availability, supplier base, costs of doing business, regulatory issues, infrastructure, incentives, and other considerations. Some locations have a high cost of doing business but great infrastructure. Other locations offer appealing incentives but limited workforce.
We expect that our selected site will include both engineering and manufacturing facilities. It may also include sales, marketing, and administrative offices. Additional sites may be chosen in other locations for completion centers and service centers. We have a number of requirements that need to be satisfied, and we want to give all locations a fair evaluation. Sites that might not meet our immediate needs may still be areas we want to pursue in the longer term.
We will not be publicly discussing our target date for when a location will be selected, nor other stages of engineering development.
Regarding Washington State:
The officials in Washington State have been nothing but outstanding and incredibly supportive. I want to thank Governor Inslee and his office as well as John Thornquist and his office for all the time they have given us. They have provided helpful information on Paine Field, Moses Lake, Spokane, and other possible locations. There are numerous benefits to those locations, and some are at the top of our list. I look forward to working with Inslee and Thornquist more as aircraft development advances and the S-512 project rolls out.
But as I mentioned, we are talking with numerous states, and the decision on where we will be located is still evolving.
