Aircraft manufacturer MSC Aerospace has announced a major expansion in southern Utah. The company, and its subsidiaries Metalcraft Technologies (MTI) and SyberJet Aircraft (SJA), plan to expand their current Cedar City facilities to create more manufacturing capabilities in a 20-year agreement with the state of Utah.


MTI is an aircraft parts and aero-structures manufacturer. MTI fabricates, processes and assembles parts, sub-assemblies and aircraft tools according to customer specifications using aluminum, titanium and stainless steel. MTI’s customers include Boeing, Bombardier’s Learjet, General Electric, Gulfstream, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, SyberJet, Vought and others.

MSC and its subsidiaries will invest millions into the Iron County manufacturing project and pay an estimated $127 million in new state tax revenue over the 20-year life of the project. Over the lifetime of the agreement, the company will pay more than $1 billion in new state wages to 1,200 incentivized jobs, according to the state of Utah. Details about the new plant are not yet available.


“For nearly 25 years, MTI has been a valuable member of our community and operates two manufacturing facilities with over 250,000 sq ft in Cedar City,” says Cedar City Mayor Joe Burgess. “MTI and its parent company MSC are cornerstones of our manufacturing community, providing our residents with good jobs and supplying the nation’s aerospace industry with top-quality products. We’re proud that Cedar City will be home to the amazing SJ30 aircraft.”

The SyberJet SJ30 is the world’s fastest and longest-range seven-seat light business jet, with a top speed of 560 mph and a 2,500-nautical-mile range. The SJ30 holds three world records for speed and distance.

Utah’s Aerospace and Defense economic cluster represents about 4.5% of all state wages. The average wage in the industry is roughly 90% higher than Utah’s average annual wage, according to state officials.


“Utah’s Aerospace industry is rapidly growing. We have the physical space, the technology and the work force for aerospace companies to rapidly grow operations in Utah,” says Utah Gov. Gary R. Herbert. “I’m confident the MSC expansion will attract additional support vendors and other aerospace companies.”