$15M Washington Plant for Valent Aerostructures

Valent Aerostructures broke ground Monday on a $15 million to $20 million plant in Washington, Mo., that will add 100 jobs and retain 120 existing ones.

The state of Missouri awarded Valent an incentives package, including $1.7 million in tax credits through the Missouri BUILD program and $1.2 million in Missouri Quality Jobs program tax credits. The state’s strategic incentive package also includes $275,000 in New Jobs Training Program funding; $112,500 in Recruitment Assistance; and energy and sales tax exemptions.

Kansas City-based Valent Aerostructures, also known as Tech Aerospace Group Inc., is a supplier of sub assemblies and a manufacturer of component parts for the commercial aerospace, defense and general aviation industries, counting Boeing, Spirit Aerosystems, Lockheed Martin, GKN and Gulfstream as top customers.

Currently, Valent has 90 employees in its Warren County facility, formerly known as DACA Machine and Tool, and 30 in St. Louis County, formerly known as Polster Engineering, positions that will be moved to the new 75,000-square-foot site in Washington. In addition, the company’s expansion will include the creation of 100 new jobs with an average annual salary of $40,000 over the next three years.

“Having existing Missouri companies such as Valent Aerostructures decide to stay and increase their investment in the Show-Me State is imperative to the long-term health of our economy,” Gov. Jay Nixon said at the ceremony. “We are pleased that a strategic package of state economic incentives helped make this expansion a reality, and thrilled that this successful business will be a presence in Franklin County for years to come, employing hundreds of hardworking Missourians while manufacturing a quality product.”