GE Aerospace Plans $1 Billion Investment, 5,000 New U.S. Jobs in 2026

GE Aerospace announced plans to invest $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing during 2026, directing more than $115 million of that total to the Cincinnati region and pushing Ohio's share of the investment to more than $160 million. The spending will fund upgrades at three local sites: the company's Evendale headquarters, its West Chester facility, and the Peebles test site in southern Ohio.

At Evendale, the money will upgrade manufacturing and testing capabilities across several engine programs, with a specific focus on expanding the ceramic matrix composite lab to advance production of lighter, heat-resistant engine parts. In West Chester, GE Aerospace plans to scale up advanced metal 3D-printing operations with next-generation systems and infrastructure upgrades to increase additive manufacturing output. The Peebles test site will receive upgrades to test cells and hoisting equipment to support both current and future engine programs.

"These investments are about more than equipment — they're about people. They keep opportunity growing in Cincinnati and across Ohio, and they strengthen our ability to deliver for customers today while building what comes next," said Dan Waugh, a vice president at GE Aerospace in Cincinnati.

Nationally, the 2026 plan marks GE Aerospace's second consecutive $1 billion U.S. manufacturing investment and will reach sites across more than 30 communities in 17 states. The company said the spending is intended to accelerate engine deliveries, ramp production of parts that extend time between maintenance shop visits, and strengthen defense production to keep pace with military demand.

GE Aerospace also plans to hire 5,000 U.S. manufacturing and engineering workers in 2026, matching the 5,000 it hired in 2025. Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. framed the investment in explicitly national terms: "Maintaining U.S. aerospace leadership requires sustained investment in our people, our facilities, and the technologies that will define the future of flight. This investment is for our customers, our communities, and our country."

The $1 billion figure is part of a broader capital commitment that has grown steadily. Since 2024, GE Aerospace has announced plans to invest more than $2.5 billion across its U.S. manufacturing sites and supplier base, including approximately $600 million directed to sites that produce defense engines over the past three years. The company noted that its manufacturing investments come on top of the nearly $3 billion it spends annually on research and development.

No site-by-site dollar breakdowns for Evendale, West Chester, or Peebles were provided in the company's announcement, and GE Aerospace has not specified how many of the 5,000 planned hires would be based in Ohio.