After five years of successful operations in Central Texas, the Acutronic Group has announced a substantial increase of its presence in the region. Headlining the expansion is Acutronic’s plan to build a nearly 14-acre state-of-the-art aerospace manufacturing facility in Bastrop and establish the City of Austin as the global headquarters for its Aerospace Components Division.
Acutronic has acquired 13.84 acres of land in the City of Bastrop, where it will build the only jet engine manufacturing facility in the State of Texas and one of the only micro-turbine manufacturing plants in the country. The facility will generate at least 50 new high-skill and high-wage jobs. Acutronic will invest upwards of $4 million on its construction.
Acutronic’s newly renovated Aerospace Components Division headquarters in the City of Austin will host close to 100 employees. The headquarters, located on Ed Bluestein Boulevard, will house engineering teams, corporate staff, turbine test cells, and assembly space. It will also be the site of development for Acutronic’s actuator, turbine, and power systems product lines.
“This investment is a natural progression for us,” said Florian Aigrain, CEO of Acutronic. “Under the leadership of General Manager Cody Fogwell, we will continue to benefit from the world-class talent pool and collaborative business environment of Central Texas. Expanding our footprint in the region will augment Austin’s advanced manufacturing and aerospace leadership through the design and production of cutting-edge products in support of the nation’s most important defense programs.”
Acutronic’s new Bastrop manufacturing facility will bring employment opportunities and career pathways to local students. In collaboration with the Bastrop Independent School District's (“Bastrop ISD”) Manufacturing P-Tech program, Acutronic is launching the Acutronic Apprenticeship Alliance, a workforce development program that will offer hands-on vocational training and mentorship in manufacturing. This program will help the region keep pace with Central Texas’ manufacturing job growth, which has increased 27% over the last 10 years.
“This collaborative effort will fuel the future of our workforce with hands-on experience and industry expertise,” said Dr. Steven Henn, P-TECH and Work-Based Learning Coordinator of Bastrop ISD. “Together, we're pioneering a new frontier in skills development through our P-TECH Advanced Manufacturing Academy. Through this partnership, our students have a solid pathway to success. I’m looking forward to seeing its positive impact on current and future Bastrop students.”
Acutronic’s new investment and expansion is the latest chapter in the Austin region’s growth as a major hub for manufacturing and aerospace and defense. In addition to job growth, the region is home to more than 550 high-tech manufacturing firms employing nearly 45,000 people, which accounts for about 64% of the Austin’s total manufacturing employment.
“Acutronic’s investment has a wide-reaching impact throughout Central Texas including Bastrop and Austin and beyond, setting up this region to be a competitive aerospace and defense hub,” said Ed Latson, CEO of Opportunity Austin, the region’s economic development organization. “And just as important is their commitment to a workforce development program for Bastrop ISD students creating a career pathway to good paying jobs. Multi-faceted investments of this nature are force multipliers for our industries and economy.”
