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Aerospace
& Defense

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11,840+

Tennesseans employed in aerospace & defense
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165+

Aerospace & defense companies in Tennessee
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20,300+

Aerospace & defense-related graduates since 2019
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$351.7M+

Capital investment since 2019
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$960M+

Aerospace products and parts exported in 2024
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2,300+

New job commitments since 2019
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$35.5M+

Arms and ammunition exported in 2024
A red line graph with three data points connected by lines, showing an upward trend. The graph has vertical bars and ends with an arrow pointing up and to the right, indicating growth or progress.

44%

Job growth in aerospace & defense employment since 2019

The Next Frontier of Aerospace & Defense Innovation

We turn momentum into lift in Tennessee. Strong public-private partnerships, manufacturing prowess and research firepower come together here in harmony—helping aerospace & defense companies reach Mach speeds.
Take Off in Tennessee

News Highlights

All News
Aerial rendering of a large industrial building surrounded by parking lots and greenery, with Smith & Wesson, Christman, and MBI logos at the top. Cars fill the parking lots, and the landscape is open and spacious.
  • Aerospace & Defense, HQ, Finance & Tech

Governor Lee, Commissioner Rolfe Announce Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. to Relocate Headquarters and Other Major Operations to Tennessee

  • Aerospace & Defense
  • East Tennessee

IWI US, Inc. Selects East Tennessee for Headquarters Relocation

  • Aerospace & Defense
  • West Tennessee

Howmet Aerospace Inc. Announces Tennessee Expansion at Paris Air Show

  • Aerospace & Defense, Foreign-Owned Establishments
  • Middle Tennessee

Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc. to Expand Headquarters, Manufacturing and Other Major Operations in Rutherford County

Success Story

All Success Stories

From startups to seasoned brands, businesses find their rhythm in Tennessee.

Exploring the Quiet Revolution: Whisper Aero’s Impact in Tennessee

In August 2021, Whisper Aero announced it would locate its headquarters and create nearly 50 new, high-paying jobs in Cumberland County. Since then, the company has also broken ground on an 8,000-square-foot flight testing facility at the Crossville Memorial Airport (KCSV). TNECD sat down with the company’s co-founders Mark Moore and Ian Villa to discuss where Whisper has been and where it plans to go while it continues to grow and transform modern aerospace technology from right here in the Volunteer State.
Read More

The Company We Keep

Logo with the words "Whisper Aero" in dark blue text on a white background. The "W" in "Whisper" is stylized with bold, angular lines.
The image shows the Eaton logo with bold, dark blue letters spelling "EATON" on a light gray background. The letters feature geometric shapes and cutouts, giving the text a modern and stylized look.
Logo for Y-12 Credit Union featuring a stylized atomic orbit graphic to the left of bold text reading "Y-12 CREDIT UNION" on a light gray background.
The Howmet Aerospace logo featuring a bold, stylized “H” inside a square, followed by the company name "HOWMET AEROSPACE" in uppercase, dark blue letters on a white background.
West Star Aviation logo with dark blue text. A curved line with a star above it arches over the word "STAR," and the word "AVIATION" appears in uppercase letters below "STAR.
Embraer logo featuring a stylized blue aircraft icon pointing left, followed by the word "EMBRAER" in bold, blue uppercase letters on a white background.
Smith & Wesson logo featuring a stylized circular emblem above the company name in dark blue text on a light background.
The image shows the BAE Systems logo with the company name "BAE SYSTEMS" in bold, white capital letters on a dark blue rectangular background.
A navy blue shield logo with the word "BELL" at the top and a stylized dragonfly design below it, all on a light gray background.
The image shows the Barrett logo in bold, dark blue letters on a white background, with the letter "A" stylized to include a rifle scope reticle.

Incentives & grants

We work hand in hand with your team to offer competitive deductions, tax credits and grants based on your project’s impact to Tennessee.

Explore Incentives

Tennessee’s Single Source for Workforce

TNWorks is Tennessee’s central hub connecting employers to a full suite of customized, data-driven workforce development services, delivered at no cost.

About TNWorks
“Tennessee’s openness, friendship and also the fact that they are so dynamic are basically what brought us to make the decision to develop our business in Tennessee.”
Franco Gussali Beretta
President, Beretta
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0 %

Job growth in aerospace & defense employment since 2019

certified sites

All Certified Sites

Our fully vetted, shovel-ready sites are primed to bring your vision to life.

Aerial view of a large construction site with cleared red earth, machinery, and surrounding green fields and trees. Roads and a few distant buildings are visible under a partly cloudy sky.

Timberlake Industrial Park

  • Easily accessible from Interstate 40 by State Route 22, a five-lane highway, this industrial park is perfectly suited for manufacturing operations.
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Aerospace Park 1

  • Located on the Tri-Cities Regional Airport campus, this site provides direct access to the airport’s two runways and is less than ten miles from the intersection of Interstate 81 and Interstate 26, near Kingsport.
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A large white water tower labeled "Union City Tennessee" stands over an expansive, green rural landscape under a partly cloudy sky.

Northwest Tennessee Regional Industrial Center

  • Ideally located along Highway 51 and bordered by the Canadian National Railroad, the site affords exceptional access to future Interstate 69.
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If you’re ready to call Tennessee home, our team of experts is on standby to answer any questions, discuss your needs and find a solution that can help your business achieve its goals.

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