AERIAL Machine and Tool Corporation was founded by Benjamin Kurz in Long Island City, NY in 1926. Aerial Machine & Tool located its main office and plant on U.S. Route 58, JEB Stuart Highway, Vesta, VA in 1988.
AERIAL is a prime contractor for the US Department of Defense and the company specializes in life-safety equipment, parachute hardware and accessories, belts, harnesses, restraints and case goods.
AERIAL has formidable expertise in specialty products for airborne cargo rigging and airdrops. They offer deployment bags, multi-loop lines and accessories for the smallest to the largest payloads. AERIAL makes all of the basic equipment needed for hoist rescue operations including operator restraints, leg slings, and swimmer restraints. AERIAL's patented helicopter rescue hook is the world standard for both civilian and military search and rescue operations.
In September 2008, the company headquartered in Vesta, VA chose to open a satellite plant in a leased building in Ararat, VA with approximately 30 jobs.
The defense contractor based in Patrick County, VA., opened its third plant in Stuart, VA. That expansion initially created about 20 jobs. The move to Stuart was triggered by production demands for fire-suppression kits that protect fuel tanks of military transport vehicles under enemy attack, requiring the company to double its production of them and hire new employees right away. The production process makes use of a new Gerber cutting machine, which cuts the Kevlar fabric for the fire suppression systems. Their new plant location is the old Spencer Building, at 649 Johnson Street, Stuart, VA, just off U. S. Route 58 four-lane.
AERIAL has a total of three plants and approximately 270 jobs in Patrick County.
