Despite massive Boeing layoffs, other aerospace companies are still hiring — Puget Sound Business Journal

Thousands of engineers and machinists in the Seattle area have been laid off this year as Boeing and its suppliers grapple with a downturn in the aerospace industry.

But many aerospace manufacturers and suppliers, including here in the region and some others in other parts of the country, are hiring despite the sector’s swoon.

Two big employers doing much of the hiring are Amazon Prime Air and space company Blue Origin of Kent, which are both owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos and have major Puget Sound region operations and facilities.

Fast-growing Amazon Prime Air is hiring for 109 positions, according to the company’s online recruiting platform.

Blue Origin lists 148 engineering and manufacturing and avionics jobs at its newly expanded headquarters, a sprawling 260,000-square-foot facility that sits on 26 acres in Kent.

Peter Zieve, the CEO of Boeing supplier ElectroImpact of Tukwila, had to let go of about 80 workers this summer and fall after his business with Boeing was hit by the effects of the pandemic.

Zieve said he worried about the engineers and workers he let go — until his staff offered some reassurance.

“Don’t worry about them. They all went to south King County and got picked up by Blue Origin,” Zieve recalls one of his staffers telling him.

“It’s awesome. I love it,” Zieve added.”Blue Origin is doing great and they have Bezos’ money.”

Though Amazon Air and Blue Origin are adding hundreds of new aerospace workers, they are hardly alone, and there’s a trickle-down effect in the supply chain, said William Ellis, chief economic development officer for the city of Kent.

“It’s a constant education battle with local investors explaining we’re actually still gaining aerospace jobs, and that Kent isn’t just a bedroom commuter locale given our job growth,” Ellis said.

Tacoma aerospace parts maker Tool Gauge is among those aerospace suppliers hiring.

Other space companies are also growing and hiring, including SpaceX and AeroJet RocketDyne.

We found three out-of-town options, too:

Northrop Grumman: The defense and space contractor is hiring hundreds of people in Colorado as it expands its work in new nuclear missile systems and satellite instruments, sister paper Denver Business Journal reports.

The Virginia-based company employs 90,000 worldwide, and much of the work it does in Colorado is classified.

Hermeus: If a megacompany like Northrop isn’t your jam, consider Hermeus, an Atlanta-based aerospace startup developing Mach 5 aircraft engines.

Hermeus recently said it closed a $16 million Series A funding round led by Canaan Partners, with Rich Boyle joining the company’s board. The round also includes continued support from Khosla Ventures, Bling Capital, and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund.

“With this capital, Hermeus will be building the foundational capabilities for high-speed flight, as well as the dedicated team that will enable its successes,” the company said.

Hermeus’ careers page shows it is now hiring for seven new jobs. An Atlanta sister publication reports more details about what the company is up to.

Stavatti Aerospace: The company is looking to ramp up in New York state. The San Bernardino, California-based military aircraft maker recently revealed it has acquired a former U.S. Army Reserve Center in Niagara County, New York, for a prototype development and production facility.

Stavatti has plans to create 590 jobs and invest nearly $26 million within the next five years at its 20-acre site along Porter Road in the Town of Niagara, which neighbors Niagara Falls International Airport, according to sister paper Buffalo Business First.

Originally published at https://www.bizjournals.com on November 12, 2020.