MINDEN, Neb. — Royal Engineered Composites plans to expand its Central Nebraska workforce by nearly 30% to meet growing demand in the aerospace and defense industries.

The Minden-based company announced it will add about 50 new positions to its current team of 175 employee-owners, with several jobs open immediately and more to be filled in the coming months.

The hiring surge comes as Royal ramps up production for multiple new commercial and defense aircraft programs.

“Over the past few years, we’ve been steadily adding work for new and growing aircraft programs,” said Royal President Dave Arnold.

“Now those programs are ramping up in production, and these positions will help us continue delivering high-quality composite parts on time to our customers,” said Arnold.

The new roles include production and quality inspection positions, as well as administrative and technical support jobs.

Many of the openings do not require prior manufacturing experience.

The manufacturer produces advanced composite parts used in aircraft around the world.

Job seekers can learn more or apply online.