Governor Laura Kelly Announces 60 New Jobs in Lenexa

~Collins Aerospace to expand operations in Lenexa, invest $55 million in community~

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today celebrated Collins Aerospace’s expansion of its Lenexa operations, which will create 60 new jobs. The new Collins Aerospace facility has generated an approximate $55 million investment in the community.

“Our state’s place as the nation’s leader in the aviation industry and our top-tier workforce make Lenexa the perfect location to build a brand new, state-of-the-art facility,” Governor Kelly said. “This announcement and the 60 jobs that it will create are great news for Lenexa and our state. I look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Collins Aerospace to create more high-paying jobs in Kansas and strengthen our growing economy.”

The company is expanding into a new 279,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility for its interior products line manufactured by Collins Interiors, a division of Collins Aerospace. The new facility will support galley inserts, oxygen systems and lighting product lines for the commercial and military aviation industry, as well as general aviation engineering solutions; a new, robust Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) service area; and other new product development.

As a key part of Collins Aerospace’s commercial aviation work, Collins Interiors business has been designing and manufacturing interior products for the commercial aviation industry out of Lenexa since the 1960s.  

The new Collins Aerospace facility is located at the Kansas Commerce Center industrial park in Lenexa and more than doubles the size of their former facility with room for further expansion.

“This exciting expansion by Collins Aerospace is more proof of our strong commitment to grow the value chain, drive innovation and capture projected growth in MRO operations in the aerospace industry,” Lieutenant Governor David Toland said. “We are thrilled by Collins’ decision to leverage our top-notch, talented workforce, high quality of life and attractive business climate – all undeniable strengths that give us a competitive advantage in the aerospace sector.”

The new site will provide more than 60 new jobs in the region with positions ranging from repair station technicians to engineering, supply chain and manufacturing. Collins Aerospace is offering all new production labor employees a $1,500 sign-on bonus, and all employees are eligible for the Collins Aerospace Employee Scholar Program that includes free paid tuition and three hours of study time per week for continuing education at colleges and universities.

“This new facility is an investment in Collins, our customers and the Lenexa community we’ve called home for more than half a century,” Brad Haselhorst, Vice President and General Manager of Interior Products at Collins Aerospace, said. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to tap in to the talented and diverse workforce in the Lenexa and greater Kansas City area and look forward to continued growth of our workforce here as we strive to better support our customers.”

About Collins Aerospace

Collins Aerospace, a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp. is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Collins Aerospace has the extensive capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and broad expertise to solve customers’ toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market. For more information, visit CollinsAerospace.com.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas in 2021 was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award and was named Site Selection Magazine’s Best Business Climate in the West North Central region of the United States. Find the Department’s strategic plan for economic growth here: Kansas Framework for Growth.