FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Fayetteville and Cumberland County are gaining a new advanced manufacturing operation as Skyeton prepares to establish its first flagship U.S. production facility in the city, bringing 162 jobs and more than $3 million in investment to the area.
The company plans to operate from a nearly 28,500-square-foot building at 223 Dedication Drive, within the former Black and Decker industrial site in Fayetteville. The facility is expected to support design, engineering, manufacturing, testing, distribution and technical support for Skyeton’s unmanned aerial systems, adding another defense-related employer to a region already closely tied to Fort Bragg and the military.
For longtime Fayetteville residents, the location itself may be just as recognizable as the company moving into it. The former Black and Decker property was once a significant part of the city’s manufacturing base, and Skyeton’s arrival will return a portion of that site to industrial use, this time focused on aerospace and unmanned aircraft technology.
Skyeton has Ukrainian roots and about two decades of experience developing unmanned aircraft for military, commercial and public-safety applications. The company’s broader operations have included production in Ukraine, Germany and Slovakia, while Skyeton Inc., the company establishing the Fayetteville facility, is its U.S. subsidiary headquartered in Las Vegas.
The company is best known for the Raybird, a long-endurance unmanned aircraft designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Skyeton says the platform has accumulated more than 350,000 combat-proven flight hours, including extensive use in Ukraine.
Although drones are often associated with military operations, the technology has much broader applications. Unmanned aircraft can also be used for wildfire monitoring, disaster response, border surveillance, mapping, infrastructure inspections, engineering work and support for first responders. Larger systems such as the Raybird are significantly different from the small consumer drones commonly used for photography, with the ability to remain airborne longer, cover larger areas and carry specialized sensors or communications equipment.
Jobs and Workforce Development
The Fayetteville operation is expected to create 162 jobs with an average annual wage of about $71,000, compared with roughly $49,000 for the current average wage in Cumberland County. Individual salaries will vary depending on the position, but the average suggests the project will include a mix of technical, manufacturing, engineering and support roles that generally pay above the countywide average.
That could make the project particularly significant for local workers looking to enter advanced manufacturing or defense technology without leaving the region. Modern manufacturing facilities often need more than production-line workers. They can also employ machinists, electronics technicians, quality-control specialists, engineers, logistics personnel, software professionals and workers trained in aviation-related systems.
Fayetteville Technical Community College and the North Carolina Community College System are expected to be involved in workforce development and training connected to the project. That type of partnership can help employers build a local talent pipeline while giving residents access to training designed around the skills companies actually need.
Fort Bragg also played a major role in Fayetteville’s appeal. The region offers a large military-connected workforce, including veterans and service members transitioning out of active duty, many of whom already have experience with logistics, communications, aviation, maintenance, technology and complex military systems.
For a defense company, that creates a workforce advantage that few communities can easily duplicate. Fayetteville’s proximity to Fort Bragg also places Skyeton near one of the nation’s most important military installations and within a local economy that already understands the defense industry.
Public Incentives and Local Investment
Public incentives were also part of the effort to recruit Skyeton. North Carolina approved about $500,000 through the One North Carolina Fund, while Fayetteville and Cumberland County together approved roughly another quarter-million dollars in local incentives.
Those incentives are performance-based rather than unrestricted payments made simply because the company selected Fayetteville. Skyeton must meet job creation and investment requirements before qualifying for state funding, while local incentives are also tied to employment milestones.
That distinction is important because economic development incentives are often misunderstood as upfront grants with no conditions. In projects like this, the goal is typically to encourage private investment and job creation while requiring the company to meet specific commitments before receiving the full public benefit.
Local governments often view those incentives as part of a broader competition for employers. A company considering multiple cities may compare available workforce, transportation, property, training programs, taxes and financial incentives before selecting a location.
Before Skyeton was publicly identified, local officials referred to the recruitment effort as Project Odesa. The project involved the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, FTCC, state economic development partners and other organizations working to bring the operation to the region.
The announcement also fits into a larger effort to expand Fayetteville’s economy beyond its traditional dependence on Fort Bragg while still building on the advantages the military provides. Rather than separating the civilian economy from the installation, projects like Skyeton allow the region to use military experience, technical talent and defense connections to attract private-sector employers.
For Cumberland County, the immediate impact is expected to include new jobs, payroll and private investment. The longer-term potential is whether the project can help attract additional aerospace, defense and technology companies looking for access to the same workforce and military ecosystem.
Skyeton’s move into the former Black and Decker property also offers a visible example of how older industrial sites can find new uses as manufacturing changes. The building may be familiar, but the type of work planned inside represents a newer segment of the economy centered on unmanned systems, advanced electronics and defense technology.
For local residents, the next major development will be hiring. As the Fayetteville operation moves forward, details about available positions, qualifications, training opportunities and the timeline for employment are likely to become some of the most closely watched parts of the project.
If Skyeton reaches its hiring and investment goals, the company will bring more than 160 new positions to Fayetteville while adding another advanced manufacturing operation to the growing defense technology presence surrounding Fort Bragg.
Kres Thomas
FayToday News
