Curtiss-Wright Corporation announced this week that it will invest $80 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Cheswick, a move that will add 150 jobs to Allegheny County over the next three years while preserving more than 860 existing positions at its sprawling campus northeast of Pittsburgh. The announcement, made July 6, positions the company — a global designer and manufacturer of advanced solutions for naval defense and commercial nuclear markets — as one of the largest single manufacturing investments in the Pittsburgh region so far in 2026.

As part of the multi-year expansion, Curtiss-Wright will construct two new buildings at its 118-acre Cheswick facility to expand manufacturing floor space and testing capacity. The company says the investment will improve operational efficiency, reduce production lead times, and support growing demand from the U.S. Navy and commercial nuclear power operators. The expansion builds on capital work already underway since 2025, funded through a combination of internal company investment, Pennsylvania state support, and maritime industrial base appropriations from the federal Department of War budget.

The Cheswick campus, which has operated continuously for decades, is a world leader in the design, development, manufacture, and qualification of critical-function canned motor pumps, motors, generators, and control rod drive mechanisms. Its products serve some of the most demanding environments on earth — powering nuclear submarines and commercial reactors. The facility's history in Pennsylvania runs deep: it supplied components for the nation's first commercial nuclear power plant, built in Shippingport, and has supported the U.S. nuclear navy since the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the first nuclear-powered submarine, put to sea.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro secured the state's involvement through the PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) Program, coordinated by the Governor's BusinessPA team. The Commonwealth is providing a $1,210,000 grant through the Department of Community and Economic Development, with additional tax credit programs available to the company. "My Administration is competing aggressively to win major investments and help drive even more economic growth across the Commonwealth," Shapiro said. "This expansion is yet another clear example of how our Economic Development Strategy is working."

Regional leaders were equally enthusiastic. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato called the news "great for Allegheny County," noting that the expansion positions the region as a national leader in manufacturing. Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, went further, drawing a direct line between Curtiss-Wright and the broader nuclear and defense ecosystem anchored in Greater Pittsburgh. "Curtiss-Wright is a vital anchor of our nuclear and defense ecosystems, working together with regional leaders like Westinghouse to power next-generation energy solutions," Pashman said. "Their decision to invest $80 million to expand their operations in Allegheny County ensures our region remains at the forefront of critical national infrastructure."

The expansion carries significance beyond the job numbers. Cheswick is one of only a handful of facilities in the United States with the specialized manufacturing certification and technical depth to produce the critical-function components required by both the nuclear navy and commercial nuclear operators. As the U.S. government accelerates its naval shipbuilding program and the domestic nuclear power industry sees a resurgence — driven by demand for clean baseload energy and AI data center power needs — Curtiss-Wright's Allegheny County plant sits at the intersection of two growth sectors. With two new buildings rising on the Cheswick campus and 150 families likely to be calling the Pittsburgh region home, this announcement is one more chapter in what has quietly become an industrial comeback story for the communities east and northeast of the city.