LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Dassault is expanding its presence in Little Rock, Arkansas, to support its new Falcon 6X business jet and future Falcon programs. According to the company, the expansion will create 800 new jobs in the region.
Dassault said that it selected Little Rock as the location for its Falcon completion center expansion based on the availability of skilled workers, the presence of its existing facilities, and the strong support of state and local officials. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and a delegation of state officials had met with Dassault's U.S. and French leadership at the June 2023 Paris International Air Show. These meetings signaled the Arkansas team's support for the expansion project and helped establish the groundwork for future discussions.
"Today's announcement cements Arkansas' role as an aerospace powerhouse, growing our state's largest export industry by 800 new jobs," said Governor Sanders. "I'm grateful to Dassault's leadership for doubling down on their investment in Central Arkansas and will keep cutting taxes, growing our workforce, and improving our schools to help Arkansas' aerospace industry continue to expand."
"Our expected demand for new Falcons -- such as our Falcon 6X, which has just entered service -- required that we evaluate our production needs, including our completion capacity," said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. "The State of Arkansas has always been a vital part of our success in Little Rock and we appreciate the leadership of Gov Huckabee Sanders as we build a bigger presence."
In Little Rock, Dassault currently employs approximately 1,400 workers across two facilities totaling 1.2 million square feet. It represents the company's largest facility in the world in terms of both footprint and number of employees.
Dassault has operated in Arkansas since 1975, when it opened its aircraft completion facility in Little Rock. Unfinished (or green) aircraft are flown into the Little Rock Completion Center for the installation of optional avionics and custom interiors and exterior painting. In addition to the Completion Center, the company operates a Service Center, dedicated to Falcon customers, in Little Rock.
Dassault has made multiple investments in its Little Rock facility in recent years. In 2015, Dassault invested $60 million to expand the Little Rock Completion Center, adding 350,000 square feet of production space. The company previously invested $20 million in 2008 to add four paint bays, in addition to new production, design, and warehouse space.
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