Junkers Michigan factory planned
Retro aircraft to be handmade in Battle Creek
The retro-themed, open-cockpit light sport aircraft based on classic designs created by aviation pioneer Hugo Junkers will soon be made in Michigan.
Chairman Dieter Morszeck's Dimor Group Inc., which owns both the German-based Junkers and Michigan-based Waco Aircraft Corp., announced February 20 a $12 million investment to expand the $30 million Waco factory, adding 45,000 square feet of manufacturing space to bring the total to 150,000 square feet, a project that is expected to be complete by August.
Junkers has been developing a North American market for the German-made A50 Junior (flown by AOPA in 2023, and the radial-engine A50 Heritage announced in 2024.
Dimor Group CEO Sergio Barreto said the company is "excited to expand" its presence in Michigan, a move that will add about 40 jobs to the factory payroll over the coming five years, according to the news release. "We’re in the business of building and selling aircraft, but at our core, the mission really is to spread the passion for aviating in its purest form,” Barreto said.
The company plans to work with the Regional Manufacturing Technology Center at Kellogg Community College to provide additional skills training and support the workforce expansion.
