Major Achievement Follows Visit to Brazil, Meeting with Air Force Secretary
Two months ago, Mayor Alvin Brown joined Governor Rick Scott on an economic development trip to Brazil, met with top executives from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, and urged them to make Jacksonville a hub for their assembly of the Super Tucano light attack aircraft.
Just a few weeks ago, Mayor Brown traveled to Washington, met with U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, and advocated for Jacksonville.
This afternoon, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it awarded a $355 million contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. As part of that contract, Embraer will assemble Super Tacano planes for U.S. military use. Embraer has committed to assemble aircraft at Jacksonville International Airport. The project will initially create 50 high wage jobs and represents millions in economic investment.
“This is great economic news for Jacksonville,” said Mayor Brown. “The award reaffirms that Jacksonville is the most military and business friendly city in the United States.”
Mayor Brown credited the broad coalition of public and private sector partners which joined forces to make this achievement possible. “This announcement is yet another example of what we can accomplish when we work together,” said Mayor Brown. “Today’s success was a real team effort.”
Brown specifically mentioned the local efforts of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, JAX Chamber, and JAX USA Partnership led by President Jerry Mallot. At the state level, he praised Governor Scott, Enterprise Florida, and Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson as relentless advocates for this achievement. From a federal perspective, Brown praised the work of U.S. Senators Nelson and Rubio and U.S. Representatives Crenshaw, Brown, Mica, and Stearns to make this day possible.
Brown pledged to work closely with Embraer to make its aircraft assembly efforts a success. “I have developed a great working relationship with U.S. Embraer President Gary Spulak and his team, and look forward to our doing whatever the City can to be a good partner in this critical initiative for our armed forces and our economy.”