State Grant Helps NS Aviation Locate in Winston-Salem

A start-up provider of aircraft maintenance and repair services will locate in Forsyth County, North Carolina, with plans to create 308 jobs and invest $1.27 million during the next four years in Winston-Salem. North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue (pictured)  announced the deal to bring NS Avaition to Winston-Salem last week, which was made possible in part by a $300,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

“NS Aviation is part of North Carolina’s transformation to a highly-skilled, knowledge-driven economy, as they join the growing aerospace industry in the Triad,” said Gov. Perdue.  “Not only are our workforce, infrastructure and strong-business climate helping us attract new investments, but we are helping hundreds of North Carolina families get back on their feet.”

NS Aviation, a start-up provider of aircraft maintenance and repair services, plans to open a maintenance facility at Smith Reynolds airport in Winston-Salem.  The facility, originally built and operated by Piedmont Airlines, was most recently the home of Pace Airlines which ceased operations in 2009.  NS Aviation plans to revive much of the former repair business of Pace Airlines and expects to hire many of the former Pace employees that are currently unemployed.

Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $42,072.  The Forsyth County average annual wage is $41,912.

“We are very excited to bring new job opportunities to Winston-Salem and give people an opportunity to work for a locally owned company,” said Charlie Creech, President of NS Aviation.  “A lot of people have worked very hard to bring this to reality.” 

“This area is blessed with tremendous aviation experience and we will be proud to show off home grown talent,” added Russ Kota, Vice-President of Maintenance.

The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state.  Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds.  These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches. “When companies like NS Aviation are looking for a home, they want highly-skilled workers and an infrastructure and business climate that will enable them to flourish,” said Sen. Linda Garrou, of Winston-Salem. “They knew they could find it in North Carolina.”

“North Carolina is able to attract companies like NS Aviation because, even in these difficult times, we continued to invest in the education and training that build a skilled workforce,” said Rep. Earline Parmon, of Winston-Salem.

The governor's office says that through Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.

FMI: www.governor.state.nc.us