Cirrus Building Tennessee Facility

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Cirrus Aircraft will likely announce a new delivery center in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Wednesday. Tennessee officials, including Gov. Bill Haslam, have invited media to a news conference at McGhee Tyson Airport near Knoxville to reveal “a significant economic development announcement.” It’s unlikely the announcement has anything to do with aircraft production as new facilities and programs are established at the company’s Duluth, Minnesota, operations. However, there has been discussion about moving the delivery center, where customers pick up their aircraft and do type training, to a less, uh, vigorous climate.

Celebrity purchasers of Cirrus aircraft have apparently suggested that the windy end of Lake Superior is a less-than-ideal setting for their first encounter with their new airplane (especially if it rolls off the line in January). With the new Vision SF50 jet now in production those sensitivities are likely to be magnified. The new facility will likely employ 40-50 people. Knoxville has much milder weather than Duluth’s but it’s likely the economic climate had as much to do with the decision. Tennessee is aggressively pursuing aerospace development with generous tax and infrastructure incentives, all of which will be explained inWednesday’s announcement.

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