(Photo from the Greenville Kearns Aerospace Maintenance website)
- The expansion will retrofit two existing aircraft hangars to be used for aircraft painting, paint striping, hazmat capture and hazmat storage and containment.
The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) announced Thursday that Greenville Kearns Aerospace Maintenance is expanding its operations in Washington County, Mississippi.
The company is reportedly investing $11.75 million in its aircraft maintenance operations in Greenville in a move that will create 31 new jobs.
Greenville Kearns Aerospace Maintenance President and CEO Ronnie Kearns said in a statement that the expansion marks the start of an exciting chapter in the company’s history.
“Adding the strip and paint to our modification and maintenance capability will establish GKAM as one of the largest maintenance and depot facilities in the southeast,” Kearns said. “Having the capacity to work up to six C-130 aircraft under roof simultaneously and now adding strip and paint to our capabilities make us a true competitor in the DoD aircraft maintenance space.”
The expansion will retrofit two existing aircraft hangars to be used for aircraft painting, paint striping, hazmat capture and hazmat storage and containment. Additionally, the new capabilities will make GKAM one of the largest aircraft depots in the U.S. and the largest veteran-owned small business in the U.S., according to MDA.
“Not only does this veteran-owned company provide a service vital to the aerospace industry, its commitment to creating dozens of new jobs in Greenville is providing outstanding new opportunities for the region’s workers. MDA is honored to support GKAM’s growth and salutes the company’s leadership for once again choosing Mississippi,” stated Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork.
Since 2022, the company has leased a hangar at Mid Delta Regional Airport, where it previously committed to creating 250 jobs. It specializes in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, as well as avionics/structure modifications, manufacturing, inspection and kitting for military and civilian aircraft.
Governor Tate Reeves celebrated the news by noting that the GKAM expanding to employ nearly 300 workers at its Greenville location is “an impressive figure that stands as a testament to the productivity of Washington County’s workforce and the fact that Mississippi is a great place to start and grow a successful business.”
MDA added that the agency is providing assistance through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program, while AccelerateMS and Washington County are also assisting with the project.
GKAM said it expects to complete the expansion by the end of the second quarter of 2025.
Frank Corder
