Commitment to Community Key in Biltmore Farms, Pratt & Whitney Partnership

Photo caption: (L-R): Jack Cecil, President & CEO, Biltmore Farms, LLC; Dan Field, Asheville General Manager, Pratt & Whitney; Shane Eddy, President, Pratt & Whitney; Machelle Baker Sanders, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce; North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper; Brownie Newman, Chairman, Buncombe County Commission; Jennifer Caruso, Chief Transformation Officer, Pratt & Whitney; Raquel Rivera, Senior Vice President Operations, Pratt & Whitney; Scott Hamilton, President, Golden LEAF Foundation.

On Wednesday, November 16th, Biltmore Farms President and Chief Executive Officer Jack Cecil participated in the ribbon cutting for the new Pratt & Whitney manufacturing center, located in the company’s 1,000-acre Biltmore Park development. Joining Cecil were North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders, Raytheon Technologies Chief Financial Officer Neil Mitchill, Pratt & Whitney President Shane Eddy, and Golden LEAF President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Hamilton, as well as many other state, local, and economic development officials. The event served as a celebration of shared values of building a community and commitment to growing innovation. Biltmore Farms and the Cecil family played a critical role in bringing the airplane engine manufacturer to Western North Carolina, offering 100 acres of land as a part of the state incentive package in early 2020. Biltmore Farms, in collaboration with the Golden LEAF Foundation and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Community Betterment Foundation, constructed a five-lane public bridge across the French Broad River and roadway to provide access to Pratt & Whitney’s new facility.??

“Growing up in Western North Carolina, I have learned to appreciate that we are fiercely independent people, but we also know how to join together to achieve something for the greater community good,” said Cecil. “In 50 years, the people of our region will not remember this celebration or the tireless work of our collective teams and the community to achieve this feat. However, the impact of this day will live on forever in the people of our community who can provide a better life for their families for generations to come. They will be the living testament of our collaboration.”?

With an investment of $650 million and the addition of 800 new local jobs with an average salary of $68,000, the Pratt & Whitney project will be a transformational economic catalyst for the community. In an effort to meet their distinct workforce needs, Pratt & Whitney has partnered with a coalition of five community colleges led by Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College to create a training program.

In addition to providing meaningful careers, the new state-of-the-art, 1.2 million-square-foot Pratt & Whitney facility leverages the latest sustainable design using industry-leading LEED principles to preserve the environment and the beauty of our mountains.?

“We are excited to officially welcome Pratt & Whitney to our community,” said Cecil. “This celebration is not only about bringing opportunity and meaningful careers to the people of Western North Carolina, but it is also about welcoming a new community citizen with a shared commitment to sustainability, education, and a brighter future for our region.”

Biltmore Farms has a 125-year legacy of thoughtful, intentional growth to support the livelihoods of Western North Carolinians. This commitment dates to George Vanderbilt purchasing the land and establishing Biltmore Village in 1889.?