Shield AI Brings Aerospace Opportunity — and a New Economic Chapter — to Des Moines

DES MOINES, WA — Something big is taking shape in Des Moines.

Shield AI, an aerospace company specializing in aircraft for military customers, has selected Des Moines as the site of a new research, development and manufacturing facility. The company plans to invest more than $300 million at the Des Moines Creek 2 light industrial park and expects the facility to support hundreds of jobs, with an estimated average salary of approximately $150,000.

For a community long defined by its waterfront, marina, small businesses and proximity to the region’s major economic centers, the arrival of a major aerospace company represents something more: an opportunity to expand the economic identity of Des Moines.

And the possibilities extend well beyond the walls of the new facility.

An Aerospace Opportunity in the South Sound

Shield AI chose the Puget Sound region because of its deep aerospace workforce and history. Washington has more than 132,000 aerospace-related jobs and more than 1,350 aerospace companies. King County alone has more than 45,000 aerospace workers and more than 400 aerospace businesses.

Des Moines is now becoming part of that story.

The company’s new facility will be Shield AI’s first in the Puget Sound region. It will house research and development as well as manufacturing of the company’s X-BAT aircraft, an uncrewed aircraft currently in development.

Flight testing will take place at Shield AI’s facility in Newton, Kansas. The company will not conduct flight testing in Des Moines, and the City says the operation will not affect SEA Airport operations.

That distinction is important, but so is the larger economic picture.

What Hundreds of Jobs Could Mean Locally

A high-paying employer doesn’t operate in isolation.

Employees buy lunch. They shop for groceries. They visit restaurants, coffee shops, salons and other local businesses. They use local services and become part of the community.

For Des Moines, that could mean new customers for existing businesses and opportunities for entrepreneurs who can meet the needs of a growing workforce. It could also mean more local residents have the opportunity to work closer to home.

According to the City of Des Moines, residents who work in aerospace today often commute outside the city. Bringing aerospace jobs into the community could help change that equation.

More Than Jobs

The investment also has the potential to broaden Des Moines’ economic and tax base. Shield AI is a private company and will be subject to applicable state, county and local taxes. The construction and build-out of the facility also generates economic activity.

The company’s projected $300 million-plus investment is significant for a city of Des Moines’ size.

But perhaps just as important is what happens next.

A successful aerospace operation could help demonstrate that Des Moines is a place where advanced manufacturing, research and development and other high-value industries can operate.

That could make the city more attractive to additional employers looking for access to the Puget Sound aerospace workforce and available industrial space.

A Chance to Connect Industry With Community

The real opportunity may be in what Des Moines does with this moment.

• How can local students learn more about careers in aerospace?

• Can area schools and workforce organizations help connect students with training and career opportunities?

• Can local businesses become suppliers or service providers?

• Can restaurants, retailers and professional services benefit from the new workforce?

• Can Des Moines become better known as a business community connected to one of the most important aerospace regions in the country?

Those are questions worth asking now.

Economic development is rarely about one company. It is about creating an environment where one investment can lead to another — where jobs lead to customers, customers lead to business growth and business growth creates additional opportunities.

Des Moines Is Changing

Des Moines has traditionally marketed itself around its waterfront, marina, small businesses and quality of life.

Those assets aren’t going away.

Instead, Shield AI could add another dimension to the community’s identity: a city connected to the region’s aerospace and advanced manufacturing economy.

The arrival of Shield AI will bring questions as the facility develops. The City has stated that future construction, tenant improvements and potential expansion will go through the applicable permitting and development review processes.

But alongside those questions is an opportunity to think bigger.

What happens when a city known for its waterfront becomes part of the future of aerospace?

For Des Moines, that story may just be getting started.

SMB TAKEAWAY

$300+ million investment. Hundreds of jobs. An estimated $150,000 average salary. A new aerospace presence in Des Moines.

The biggest story may ultimately be what this investment makes possible for the businesses, workers, students and entrepreneurs who already call the Southside home.

Des Moines has an opportunity to turn one new employer into a broader economic development story.