A California-based aerospace and defense supplier plans to establish its first manufacturing operation in the central United States in Cedar Park, a project expected to bring a $10 million investment and 170 full-time jobs.
The Cedar Park City Council approved a performance-based economic development agreement with Elite Metal Finishing LLC, an Oxnard, California-based company that also operates facilities in Florida.
Elite Metal Finishing provides specialized plating, coating, thermal treatment and testing services for commercial, military and aerospace customers. Its processes are designed to meet military and aerospace specifications.
Under the agreement, the company plans to lease about 50,000 square feet at Cedar Tech I, invest $10 million in the Cedar Park operation and create 170 full-time jobs paying an average annual wage of about $60,000.
Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin said the company will add another specialized component to Cedar Park’s growing advanced manufacturing sector.
“What makes this announcement particularly exciting is how Elite Metal Finishing complements the advanced manufacturing companies choosing Cedar Park,” Penniman-Morin said in a statement.
The company’s services are intended to provide post-production capabilities closer to Central Texas manufacturers producing components for aerospace, defense and other advanced industries.
Elite Metal Finishing will locate at Cedar Tech I alongside Machine Sciences Corp., a precision CNC manufacturer that is also planning operations at the development. City officials said the two companies will provide complementary services, with precision manufacturing supported by finishing, coating, treatment and testing.
Cedar Park Chief Economic Development Officer Arthur Jackson said the project reflects the city’s effort to build a broader aerospace, space and defense supply chain rather than recruit manufacturers individually.
“We are moving beyond recruiting individual companies and intentionally building the supply chain around them,” Jackson said. “Bringing mission-critical finishing, coating, treatment, and testing capabilities closer to our advanced manufacturers strengthens the companies already here and makes Cedar Park more competitive for the next manufacturer, integrator, or defense contractor.”
The Cedar Park facility will also expand Elite Metal Finishing’s geographic reach and place the company closer to aerospace and defense customers throughout Texas and the central United States.
City officials said the project is part of Cedar Park’s economic development strategy aimed at creating higher-paying jobs, attracting private investment and expanding the city’s commercial tax base.
Williamson Reporter 