The U.S. military has eight permanent bases in North Carolina, and our state ranks at the top in terms of military presence. Hundreds of thousands of military and civilian jobs are vital to our economy. However, we have not been taking full advantage of this economic engine. In 2005, Golden LEAF provided leadership and funding for an aerospace initiative that geared up immediately and can contribute significantly to our economy for years to come.

In partnership with our community colleges, North Carolina State University, the Pentagon, industry, and nonprofits, Golden LEAF has made almost $11 million in grants to the newly-created North Carolina Aerospace Alliance to help North Carolina get into the business of manufacturing spare parts for aging military aircraft. The alliance was created to provide entrepreneurs assistance in three critical areas: certification and engineering, workforce training, and access to capital.

Eastern North Carolina has two major facilities for overhauling aircraft — the Naval Air Depot at Cherry Point and the US Coast Guard Air Command Center at Elizabeth City, and according to Bob Ernst, chairman, Joint Council on Aging Aircraft of the Department of Defense, it makes sense to manufacture the parts in North Carolina. He has cited the grants from Golden LEAF as a critical component of the Pentagon's decision to work closely with North Carolina as a manufacturing center.

To train skilled machinists to manufacture the parts, Golden LEAF made a large grant to Lenoir Community College, which has opened a state-of-the-art facility at the Global Transpark near Kinston. Golden LEAF made a similar grant to Haywood Community College to establish an advanced machining center at its Regional High Technology Center in Waynesville. Western North Carolina has cluster industries that produce parts for the automotive, marine trades, and medical device industries. These companies, like those in the aviation industry, must have highly skilled machinists.