Theo Wells-Spackman is a Report for America corps member who reports for VTDigger.
Beta Technologies has added 300 staff members to its Vermont-based workforce in recent months, and plans to add roughly 1,000 more in the next 18 months, company CEO Kyle Clark told reporters Friday.
The announcement comes a month after the electric-aircraft company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange, raising over $1 billion. The projected surge in recruitment for the company would roughly double its Vermont workforce since earlier this year, a company spokesperson confirmed.
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“We intend to continue to grow in Vermont,” Clark said. “The nucleus will stay here.”
In June, Beta employed roughly 900 people in total, according to company filings. As the company’s workforce rapidly expands, Clark said he expects about 90% of his staff to remain based in Vermont.
So far, Beta’s Vermont-focused manufacturing plans have also involved purchasing some technical materials like circuit boards or composite materials for aircraft from locally based businesses, Clark said.
Clark cautioned that the projected expansions are potentially subject to change as the company moves forward. Last month, in the midst of the company’s initial public offering, he predicted that Beta’s Vermont footprint would eventually “hit a limit.”
“We have to grow responsibly,” Clark said Friday.
Right now, though, there is more demand than the company can meet, he said. Earlier this month, Beta signed a supply contract with electric-aircraft developer Eve Air Mobility that could last up to 10 years and be worth up to $1 billion.
At Friday’s press conference, Clark said he had seen a number of young Vermonters who had initially left the state for work applying to job openings at Beta.
“They come back,” he said. “That’s a trend that we’re seeing.”
Last month, the company held a career day in South Burlington for local young professionals and students, which was attended by hundreds.
Information about how much of the company’s current in-state workforce had been recruited locally was not immediately available, the spokesperson said. Clark noted that employees hired through Beta’s internship program — roughly 90 people — are about 40% Vermont residents and 40% University of Vermont attendees or graduates.
For new hires who are moving to Vermont, Clark said the company offers temporary residences to offset the difficulties of the state’s housing market.
At present, openings on the Beta website range from a workforce coordinator role with a salary of roughly $60,000 to a “Technical Support Lead” job with compensation up to $185,000.
Clark said the company had taken steps to make the company attractive to young professionals. Beyond paying employees “well,” he said, all staff hold some equity in the company and have access to significant upward mobility through promotions. The expansive South Burlington campus also features complimentary meals, onsite medical services and a tire-change facility.
The company is also advertising for a new director at a proprietary “Beta Kids” child care center.
“We want the best people,” Clark said.
