The Middle Georgia town of Eastman has seen a growing number of companies related to aerospace locating there.
Eastman is home to the Heart of Georgia Regional Airport (KEZM). With a runway over 6500 feet long, it accommodates private plane and jet traffic from around the Southeast, and houses The Middle Georgia State University School of Aviation. As Home of the Institute for Applied Aerospace Research, it is a nationally recognized leader in aviation education and research. Their wide range of programs includes FAA-approved flight (airplane and helicopter), air traffic management, aviation maintenance technology (AMT), and aircraft structural technology (AST). The Eastman Campus is home to a fleet of 30 airplanes, 4 helicopters, and several advanced simulators used in training and instruction.
MGSU’s flight program is one of only eight schools in the nation chosen to participate in Delta’s Propel Pilot Career Path Program, which will provide selected students with a “qualified job offer,” and puts them on a specific, accelerated path to becoming Delta pilots. The Atlanta-based airline is looking to hire 8,000 pilots over the next decade as pilots begin to reach the mandatory retirement age of 65, according to a news release.
Valence Surface Technologies is located adjacent to the airport and provides full service aerospace metal finishing. They are fully certified with NADCAP AS9100 quality system.
Eastman is also home to Aremac Heat Treating East, a fully NADCAP AS9100 accredited heat treating facility with approvals for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Bombardier and more. Founded in 1968, the team at Aremac have extensive experience performing processes on virtually every metal imaginable.
Acclaim Aerospace & Defense is the newest company to locate in Eastman. Acclaim is a manufacturer of ultra precision Swiss lathe and mill turn machined parts for customers in aerospace, defense, space, medical, and oil and gas industries.
The town is within 2 hours’ drive of both Atlanta or Savannah, and in same-day driving distance to more than 1,440 high precision manufacturing customers in the Southeast, and only an hour from Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, GA. Eastman is a designated HUBZONE, which allows customers to fulfill any government military, defense, or space mandated HUBZONE supplier quotas.
“We are proud to support the city and citizens of Eastman, and we look to continue our growth trajectory to provide more higher wage jobs in the area,” said Acclaim CEO Rebecca Premo. “We believe in businesses supporting the community in which they operate, and we believe that rising tides raise all ships. We love to solve procurement problems for our customers, and at the same time, put more skilled Middle Georgia CNC machinists to work.”
For more information about business opportunities in Eastman, contact the Eastman Dodge County Area Chamber of Commerce at (478) 374-4723.