(Manassas, VA – July 18, 2023) – Today, Manassas Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger and City Council
were joined by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin in celebrating the ribbon cutting ceremony for
RapidFlight, an innovative designer and manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems who recently located
to the City of Manassas.
The celebration follows RapidFlight’s renovation of their facility near Historic Downtown Manassas
where the company will create 119 new jobs over the next several years. The company has invested
upwards $5.5 million in upfitting the former Georator building to house their growing team of engineers,
production staff, and operations personnel.
“RapidFlight and other aerospace developments in the City show that Manassas is emerging as a
leader in the aerospace industry,” says Manassas Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger. “We’re proud of the
City’s partnership with RapidFlight and thrilled to be here today to celebrate the ribbon cutting of their
R&D and production facility. We know this is just the beginning for them and we look forward to
watching them take off.”
Mayor Davis-Younger and Governor Youngkin were joined by Virginia Secretary of Commerce and
Trade Caren Merrick, the Manassas City Council, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and
senior executives from RapidFlight in touring the state-of-the-art facility.
“Virginia is uniquely positioned to lead the unmanned systems industry, and RapidFlight is on the cutting
edge of developments in this innovative technology sector. We look forward to supporting the
company’s growth in the City of Manassas,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Since day one we’ve
declared that Virginia is open for business, and businesses such as RapidFlight is a prime example of
the success and growth that businesses can achieve in the Commonwealth.”
As the home to world-class manufacturers like Micron, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Virginia’s
busiest general aviation airport at Manassas Regional Airport, the City has the unique combination of
aviation and manufacturing assets that companies like RapidFlight can benefit from. As these industries
have grown in the City, so too, have the career opportunities and earning potential for residents in
Manassas. Last year, the City’s 23,844 jobs boasted the 2nd highest annual weekly manufacturing
wage in the Commonwealth as well as the 8th highest overall weekly wage.
RapidFlight is an integrated end-to-end unmanned aircraft system design and production firm. Founded by leading unmanned aircraft systems expert John (Jay) Gundlach, Ph.D., RapidFlight’s high-performance systems are designed to meet evolving national security and private sector demands of the United States and its allies. The company takes an agile approach to flight system design, aggressively responding to mission requirements and dramatically reducing the time from concept to mission through Additive Manufacturing (AM), advanced avionics, and innovative propulsion systems.
About the City of Manassas Department of Economic Development
The City of Manassas fosters economic development through collaborative partnerships, sustainable fiscal management and supportive City services. The Department of Economic Development (DED) is directly responsible for business attraction, retention, expansion and tourism initiatives in the City. As a resourceful and collaborative organization, we work in partnership with our key stakeholders to ensure that we have what businesses need; including a highly educated and technical workforce with access to major universities and first-class training providers. We take an active leadership role in all that we do, serving as a community builder, collaborator and agent of economic growth. For help with your business needs please visit: https://choosemanassas.org/ or call 703.257.8882.