Aerospace and aviation manufacturer Williams International announced plans to invest nearly $1 billion in constructing a 1 million-square-foot high-volume aviation gas turbine engine manufacturing site in the Florida Panhandle.

Following a multi-state search that began in 2023, the company plans to build the location's facilities in three phases at the Shoal River Industrial Park.

Williams International expects to begin construction on the first 250,000-square-foot facility later this year, with completion scheduled for late 2026. Subsequent facilities will be built in 2028, with the final 500,000-square-foot facility planned for 2035 or 2036.

Headquartered in Pontiac, Michigan, Williams International specializes in the design, manufacturing and support of aviation gas turbine engines.