Beta Technologies Went Public with $1 Billion IPO, Now it Plans to Double Vermont Workforce Despite Housing Constraints
South Burlington aerospace company adds 1,000 jobs while navigating Vermont's infrastructure limits and expanding to New York
A Vermont Success Story Goes Global
Beta Technologies, the South Burlington-based electric aircraft manufacturer, has completed its transformation from startup to publicly traded company with a $1 billion initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in early November. Trading under the ticker symbol BETA, the company priced its shares at $34 each, placing its market value at approximately $5.99 billion.
The IPO comes as Beta announces plans to add 1,000 employees to its current Vermont workforce of roughly 900 over the next 18 months—effectively doubling its presence in the state. The company has already added 300 staff members since earlier this year, growing from 535 employees in December 2023.
The Eve Air Mobility Deal Changes Everything
On December 2, Beta secured a supply agreement with Eve Air Mobility worth up to $1 billion over 10 years. The deal positions Beta not just as an aircraft manufacturer, but as a major supplier to the broader electric aviation industry.
Beta will supply electric pusher motors for Eve’s aircraft, which has a backlog of 2,800 orders. Eve Air Mobility is a subsidiary of Embraer, one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, making this selection a significant validation of Beta’s propulsion technology. The agreement provides Beta with long-term revenue even if its own aircraft face certification delays, reducing the company’s business risk.
Reversing Vermont’s Brain Drain
CEO Kyle Clark has emphasized that the company is actively recruiting young Vermonters who initially left the state for opportunities elsewhere. According to company data, 40% of Beta’s interns are Vermont residents, and 40% are affiliated with the University of Vermont, creating a sustainable local talent pipeline.
“The nucleus will stay here,” Clark told the Williston Observer, referring to Beta’s commitment to maintaining its core operations in Vermont. However, he acknowledged practical limitations: “We will hit a limit at some point.”
The Total Package: Benefits Beyond Salary
To attract and retain workers in Vermont’s tight labor market, Beta has developed a comprehensive benefits strategy that extends well beyond typical aerospace industry offerings.
All employees receive equity in the company—now publicly tradable stock worth $34 per share. The company operates an on-site tire change facility to help employees with Vermont’s seasonal tire requirements, offers on-site childcare through “Beta Kids”, and provides medical services at its South Burlington campus.
Beta also leases temporary housing for employees, a necessity disclosed in the company’s SEC filings. The company subleases this property to new hires who cannot immediately find housing in Vermont’s constrained rental market.
Job postings show salaries ranging from approximately $60,000 for coordinators to $185,000 for technical leads, reflecting the mix of manufacturing and high-level engineering positions.
Vermont’s Housing Crisis as Growth Constraint
The plan to add 1,000 employees confronts Vermont’s acute housing shortage head-on. State officials have identified a need for 40,000 new housing units by 2030, with current construction falling significantly short. Burlington-area vacancy rates remain near zero.
The 2025 Vermont Business Climate Survey highlights housing affordability as a primary impediment to business growth. Beta’s 300 recent hires have likely already tightened the local market; adding 1,000 more households could intensify pressure on housing prices and availability.
Beta’s temporary housing program represents both a solution and a potential complication. While it enables recruitment, it also creates a dynamic where employees depend on their employer for both income and shelter—a dependency that could complicate employment relationships.
The Plattsburgh Factor: Expansion Beyond Vermont
While Beta emphasizes its Vermont commitment, the company has also secured a $41 million expansion at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York. The former Air Force base offers advantages Vermont cannot match: longer runways for testing larger aircraft, more available industrial land, and access to the upstate New York labor pool.
This bi-state strategy suggests that while Beta’s engineering “nucleus” may remain in Vermont, high-volume manufacturing—particularly production to fulfill the Eve contract requiring thousands of motors—may shift to locations with greater industrial capacity.
Manufacturing Depth and Technical Sophistication
Beta’s approach to “vertical integration”—controlling its own supply chain—sets it apart from competitors who outsource key components. The company designs and manufactures its own electric motors, inverters, and charging systems.
Job postings for electrical engineers specializing in printed circuit board design and interns who “design their own printed circuit boards” confirm that Beta is engaging in sophisticated electronics manufacturing on-site, not just assembling purchased components.
The company has also conducted over 1,000 hours of uncrewed flight tests, developing autonomous capabilities for future cargo operations. This testing data represents valuable intellectual property for future aircraft automation.
Financial Reality: High Burn Rate Demands Results
While Beta’s IPO success and Eve contract paint an optimistic picture, the company’s third-quarter financial results reveal the urgency behind its growth plans. Beta reported $196.2 million in operating losses for Q3 2025, with research and development expenses of $146.1 million.
At this burn rate of approximately $200 million per quarter, the $1 billion raised through the IPO provides roughly 5-6 quarters of runway without significant revenue growth. This explains why the Eve deal and rapid scaling are not merely growth opportunities but operational necessities for the company’s survival.
The financial pressure also clarifies why Beta must “grow responsibly,” as Clark stated. The company cannot afford inefficiencies in workforce deployment or supply chain management given the velocity of its cash outflows.
What Happens Next
Beta Technologies faces a complex balancing act over the next 18 months. The company must recruit 1,000 skilled workers in a state with limited housing availability, scale manufacturing to meet demand from Eve Air Mobility’s 2,800-aircraft backlog plus its own production needs, and achieve Federal Aviation Administration certification for its aircraft—all while managing a quarterly burn rate that requires rapid revenue realization.
The company’s success in navigating these challenges will test both Beta’s operational capabilities and Vermont’s capacity to support high-tech manufacturing growth. If housing and infrastructure constraints prevent Vermont-based expansion, the state’s role as the company’s “nucleus” may become more symbolic than substantive, with the bulk of manufacturing employment migrating to Plattsburgh or other locations.
For Vermont, Beta represents both an economic opportunity and a stress test. The return of young professionals and creation of high-wage manufacturing jobs could help reverse decades of brain drain. But realizing this potential requires addressing the housing crisis that currently threatens to cap the state’s economic growth across all sectors—not just aerospace.