AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE MANUFACTURING PROPEL THE ARKANSAS ECONOMY

A strong business climate that provides a low cost of doing business, a talented workforce together with an excellent quality of life and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities are the main reasons why 180 aerospace and defense companies or their satellite operations call Arkansas home. Major manufacturers such as Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Collins Aerospace, Raytheon, and Aerojet Rocketdyne have facilities in the state. Other companies such as Pratt & Whitney, General Dynamics, and Prime Completions LLC provide specialty manufacturing and service capabilities.

Economically, Arkansas’s #1 export is aircraft and aircraft-related parts and services. More than 8,000 people are employed in aerospace and defense manufacturing with about half of those directly engaged in aerospace parts and products manufacturing. More than 2,500 Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) maintenance technicians are employed in the state. In addition to being one of 28 right-to-work states with very low union membership rates, Arkansas offers a plethora of tax incentives, tax credits on investment and R&D, property tax abatements, rebates, and state and federal funds to offset infrastructure costs. These programs together make Arkansas one of the most business-friendly states in the country.