County Wants More Time To Review Incentives Package

EXTRA Aircraft is planning to build its first North American manufacturing facility in Montrose, CO. However, the German-based manufacturer, as well as 220 potential new employees, will have to wait while the Montrose Board of County Commissioners concludes its investigation into an incentives package that sources say may have violated the Colorado state constitution.

The board announced Thursday afternoon that it needs more time to review and research the case before making a final decision. This is the second hold up surrounding the proposed new facility. During a September 8 public meeting, the Montrose commissioners also voted to delay their decision based on the need for further information.

Aviation consulting and research firm Boyd Group International, based in Evergreen, CO was hired by the county to conduct a "due diligence" report on the EXTRA offer and was expected to deliver the results of that report by the end of this week.

At publication, no final report has been released to the public.

The Grand Junction Sentinel reported on Friday the package of incentives in question "consists of a number of tax breaks and the purchase of 7.68 acres of Montrose Regional Airport property from the economic development corporation by the county."

EXTRA Aircraft EA-500/FILE PHOTO

The state’s Office of Economic Development partnered with the City of Montrose, County of Montrose and Montrose Economic Development Corp. to help recruit the company to Colorado, according to a July 23rd press statement from the Office of Colorado Governor, Bill Ritter, Jr.

“Even in these tough times, Colorado continues to attract world-class companies and jobs thanks to our low-cost, high-quality and business-friendly strategies,” Ritter said. “Colorado’s spirit of innovation and strong manufacturing sector are helping to drive our economy forward, and it’s my privilege to welcome EXTRA Aircraft to the Centennial State and the Western Slope. Congratulations to all of the partners who helped make this project a reality.”

The statement also said Colorado is supporting the project through its Colorado First and Existing Industry job-training program and other incentives.

Job seekers in the area are hopeful the company will remain committed to Montrose and that the issue can be resolved soon.

EXTRA announced Montrose as their choice for their new plant  in July and that it plans to manufacture the EXTRA 500 and EXTRA 350, two popular models of its high-performance turboprop aircraft.

The Extra 500’s advanced all-carbon-fiber fuselage and wing will be crafted by the Extra factory in Dinslaken, Germany then shipped to Montrose for final assembly and completion to each customer’s specifications. Extra’s Montrose team will install the new Rolls Royce M250-B17F turboprop engine and the new-generation Avidyne Entegra Release 9 (R9) avionics suite into each aircraft.

FMI: http://extraaircraft.com/