FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 2021

HEATH, OHIO – The Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority today announced that an agreement with Boeing has been reached which will extend Boeing’s lease commitment with the Port Authority for clean room and advanced manufacturing space at the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center in Heath for seven years into 2028 with options through 2043. The commitment represents an over $25 million investment by Boeing and, with options, would be projected to achieve over $100 million investment.

Boeing will mark 25 years in Heath later this year where it is engaged in maintenance, repair and overhaul for a variety of aerospace and defense guidance and navigation systems as well as manufacture of radar antennae.

“We’re proud that our customers continue to entrust us with some of the highest priority missions for the U.S. Department of Defense,” said Mike Murasky, site leader for the Boeing Guidance Repair Center. “That trust has enabled us to continue our nearly 25-year partnership with the Port Authority and the local community.”

Boeing anchors the Port Authority’s manufacturing-oriented campus in Heath where a recent Port Authority report showed more than 20 employers combined to employ 1,650 people with an over $127 million annual payroll. Employment on the entire campus grew 13% in 2020.

“For decades, the U.S. Department of Defense has enjoyed the uniqueness of Heath’s location, and the talent of the area workforce, in the cost-effective performance of workload critical to its mission,” Heath Mayor Mark Johns said. “Also over the years, Heath and our surrounding communities have enjoyed the partnership with Boeing as an employer and supporter of various community initiatives. All of the partners in this relationship benefit greatly by our relationship continuing well into the future.”

Boeing’s first lease with the Port Authority of the former Newark Air Force Base facilities was in 1996 and has been extended ever since. The current lease is now guaranteed through September 30, 2028.

“Boeing’s astounding commitment through this lease extension is a validation of our model public-private partnership. The commitment is an intense signal to the workforce and the community that Boeing is firmly invested in Licking County and Ohio’s future,” said Port Authority CEO Rick Platt. “We look forward to continuing a highly-successful partnership that has benefited the national defense for decades.”

The Boeing Company reports $12.1 billion in business in Ohio in 2020. Ohio is Boeing’s largest supplier state. The Port Authority owns and manages the Central Ohio Aerospace and Technology Center in Heath and is the largest self-sustaining port authority in Ohio.