Cirrus Aircraft to Develop Innovation Center

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth-based Cirrus Aircraft announced its plans to expand the maintenance facility that it bought from the city last week for one dollar. The former AAR building at the Duluth International Airport will transform into Cirrus’ future center for innovation.

The former AAR Corporation facility has been left vacant since May of 2020 due to the pandemic. This resulted in more than 200 jobs being lost. Now, Cirrus plans to turn the facility into a Innovation Center of Excellence.

“I think it’s a win win of course for the city and for Cirrus, we are going to be making a significant investment, but we also need help as we go forward whether it’s in investment in local housing, workforce initiatives; things that help us attract people to this region,” Cirrus Aircraft President of Innovation and Operations, Patrick Waddick says.

Cirrus Aircraft plans to do a complete renovation of the base. They would not provide a specific dollar amount, but it is expected to be in the millions.

This innovation center will link all of the different fields operated under the company from flight tests to design and experimental.

“Just thrilled that Cirrus is again, investing in the city of Duluth, investing in aviation, investing in this region. And in turn, we have the obligation to support them the best we can. We know they’re going to need workforce, we know that workforce is going to need housing. So, all of those things we’ve been working on and have made progress on, we know we are going to have to double those efforts to continue to support them and other businesses in this community to let them continue to grow and be successful,” Duluth Chamber Vice President, Daniel Fanning says.

The company says it will hire an additional 80 engineers over the next three years to support the current team of 300 engineers, scientists and technicians. They hope to ease this process by continuing to work closely with community partners like Lake Superior College and UMD.

“To get some of those engineer students to look at Duluth differently again to say this is where we not only want to go to school but to stay and work here. And again, it’s on us to make sure we have the housing, the child care, and all of that stuff for them, but these jobs will really help attract some impressive who are going to be more than engineering side of things,” Fanning says.

Back in 2007 and 2008, Cirrus worked on jet development at the maintenance base located at the Duluth Airport.

“It was exciting to work on the vision jet over there in the 2000’s. Now, there’s been so many advances in new technology and new thoughts about our expanding product line that we are bringing the team back together in one place but it’s a larger team but they also have some new missions about how we create future innovations that are really going to change personal aviation again,” Waddick says.

Cirrus plans to start renovations this month, starting with the the different shop areas like advance development and experimental testing.

“While we have work to do and we still need housing and there is still things we can do to improve the business economy and the business community, we are seeing some really exciting, positive signs of people like Cirrus, like Essentia, like St. Luke’s investing in Duluth and I think that’s a really safe bet that is going to pay off for all of us,” Fanning says.