BEAUFORT – The Massachusetts-based Avwatch will open a “base of operations and commercial aircraft maintenance facility” in Carteret County, the Carteret County-Beaufort Airport Authority announced this week.
The facility, at Michael J. Smith Field, will provide “critical support,” the statement reads. The first phase began in November 2021, the company noted, and the second phase began in February 2022 and included opening the commercial aircraft maintenance facility.
There will be a third phase of development, according to the statement, which was shared with WRAL TechWire earlier today.
That phase will involve additional expansion. According to the company, its vision is to “establish a permanent facility in North Carolina to serve the aviation and maintenance needs for the region.”
Supported by economic development grant
The project follows the awarding of an economic development grant awarded to the Carteret County-Beaufort Airport Authority.
“The awarding of this grant to the Carteret Airport Authority is a result of the hard work by many local and state officials and the TSC/Avwatch team. We are excited to be able to provide aviation flight and maintenance services based out of Beaufort and are grateful for the support from the local business and civic leaders that made this possible,” said Chris Kluckhuhn, General Manager, Airborne Solutions and ISR, TSC, who was also the former CEO at Avwatch.
The company, which is a subsidiary of the Technology Service Corporation (TSC), was founded in 2008. TSC acquired the company in August 2021, later integrating the operation into TSC in October.
A TSC statement in August described the company as one that “maintains a fleet of aircraft for operational missions and support training as well as flight testing and demonstration support.”
The statement continued: “Avwatch makes innovative products to augment their aircraft services.”
Those products include a mobile tracking system (MTS) and the AEROet Assembly, which the company’s website describes as a product “designed to simplify integration across a variety of platforms.”
