SPOKANE — Spokane took another step Monday toward an ambitious multi-million dollar initiative to become a leading supplier of materials used in the aerospace industry — specifically composites that could be designed and manufactured on the West Plains.
The federal government picked a group of regional businesses, local governments, tribes and Gonzaga University that have banded together to create a “Tech Hub” with their eyes on up to $70 million in federal grant money.
This Inland NW Composites Consortium, which includes some 50 members, was among 31 other groups that were selected from a pool of about 200 aspirants attempting to tap into federal funds.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration will now narrow the field down to a final 5 to 10 applicants that will receive money.
“The organizational, educational, civic, business and cultural resources of this area are unmatched,” Thayne McCulloh, president of Gonzaga University, said in a statement. “This incredible group of partners and innovators is perfectly poised to create the future, and it begins right here in the Inland Northwest.”
The announcement comes with no financial implications but instead allows the consortium to apply for the second and final phase of the selection process.
If chosen in the final phase, the consortium would be granted between $40 million and $70 million.
The funds would be used to implement the American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Center, which would specialize in manufacturing thermoplastic composites.
Because these materials are are lighter and more fuel efficient, they are becoming increasingly demanded as the aerospace industry strives for lower emissions
But aircraft manufactures often look to foreign suppliers to find these materials. The proposed facility could foster a more better domestic supply chain for nearby companies such as Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp., and thus increase American competitiveness in the global market.
The project would occupy the former Triumph Composite Systems Inc. factory at 1514 Flint Road that was shuttered more than a year ago.
The 386,000-square-foot facility sits on 50-acres near the Spokane International Airport and is owned by Spokane-based Lakeside Companies.
The company also owns Advanced Thermoplastic Composites, an aviation and aerospace component manufacturing company in Spokane Valley.
“Lakeside is proud to be… accelerating our domestic supply base and American manufacturing jobs in the Inland Northwest,” John J. Hemmingson, CEO of Lakeside Companies, said in a statement. “We have the talent, the resources, and the right partnerships to take this plan to the next step.”
The Tech Hub program was created as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which authorizes $10 billion to be invested into local economies to drive technological innovation and strengthen domestic manufacturing, a White House publication said.
The deadline to submit second-phase proposals is Feb. 29, 2024. Between five and ten applicants will be awarded funds to implement their Tech Hub.
