US aircraft manufacturer Cirrus has committed $13 million to expand its production site in North Dakota, a move the company says will enable it to better support production of its SR Series single-piston and SF50 Vision Jet.
Cirrus disclosed the project on 30 June, saying it plans to add 2,787sq m (30,000sq ft) to its existing 15,329sq m production facility in the eastern North Dakota city of Grand Forks. It expects to complete construction in the second quarter of next year.
“The expansion will support Cirrus aircraft manufacturing” both the SR Series and the Vision Jet “with additional equipment, storage [and] technical tools”, the Minnesota-based company says. Cirrus adds that the project will allow it to create more jobs over five years.
Cirrus held a groundbreaking ceremony on 25 June in Grand Forks.
“We have worked closely with the Grand Forks legislature and community to invest in the growth and expansion of [the] facility,” says Cirrus chief executive Zean Nielsen.
Cirrus produces both the SR Series and the Vision Jet at the Grand Forks site. It delivered 731 aircraft last year, including 101 Vision Jets and 630 SRs, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Cirrus has been introducing product updates in recent months, having in May revealed its SR Series G7+, a variant equipped with Garmin’s emergency auto-land system. The Vision Jet has a similar auto-land function.
