From military cargo planes and crop dusters to Gulfstream jets, hypersonic aircraft and future air taxis, they’re all made or developed in Georgia as part of the state’s sprawling mix of aerospace companies.
Now, some of the largest aircraft firms in the state are joining together to form the Georgia Aerospace & Defense Alliance, to advocate for one of the state’s top industries and back the state’s tax credit for research and development.
The founding members of the group are Savannah-based jet manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., defense contractor Lockheed Martin, pilot training firm FlightSafety International, engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney parent RTX.
The group will be based at Mercer University in Macon, which has an engineering research center that supports Robins Air Force Base. It will be led by executive director Ember Bishop Bentley, a former vice president at Middle Georgia State University and former deputy commissioner of international affairs for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
The aerospace group’s chair will be Jay Neely, a former Gulfstream executive who is also chair of the Department of Economic Development. With national lobbying groups already focused on Washington, D.C., he said his organization’s primary focus for advocacy will be at the state level.