Cirrus Aircraft will develop the recently acquired 189,000-square-foot building, the Duluth Innovation Center located at the Duluth International Airport in Minnesota as its headquarters (HQ). Cirrus plans to build an Innovation centre on the 39 acres of land for manufacturing the next generation of Cirrus aircraft.
Thrilled at the prospect of a new HQ, Zean Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer of Cirrus Aircraft said: “This investment solidifies Cirrus Aircraft’s commitment to continuous innovation. We want talent to think of Cirrus Aircraft, Duluth, and now the new Innovation Center as a special place where the latest and greatest general aviation technologies come to life. The Innovation Center is designed to become the epicenter for personal aviation engineering and to attract top talent from around the world.”
Pat Waddick, President of Innovation and Operations of Cirrus Aircraft said: “This investment in a world-class facility brings together our engineering, flight test, experimental, advanced design and development, and other key Product Development areas. We are excited about how our investments in facilities, people and programs will lead to changing the world again!”
The Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) approved the agreement authorizing the sale of the former Northwest Airlines facility with a 60-year ground lease. The agreement releases the DEDA’s ownership of the facility and the ongoing financial burden as the building has been without a tenant since May 2020, resulting in over 200 job cuts due to the pandemic. Moreover, the sale will save the city over $600,000 annually in maintenance, operating, and tax expense.