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ST Aerospace Could Bring 300 Jobs To Escambia County
December 18, 2013
Tuesday night, Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announced that he has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ST Aerospace, Mobile, Inc. that could bring up to 300 jobs. The non-binding MOU is the culmination of 18 months of joint efforts to build the aerospace industry in Pensacola.
“We have aggressively been courting this company and the aerospace industry. It has been a pleasure to work with Joseph Ng and his team. We look forward to the next steps in lease negotiations,” Hayward said in an after-hours press release.
ST Aerospace’s primary business activity is the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. The company employs 1500 people at Brookley Field in Mobile. Plans include locating a satellite operation inside Pensacola International Airport Commerce Park that would bring a minimum of 300 new jobs to Pensacola.
The deal has been in the negotiation stage for nearly two years under the code name “Project Stallion”. Originally, the project would rely on about $10 million in incentives from Escambia County, but so far the county commission hasn’t approved the deal. It was not known Tuesday night if the county’s incentive money was included in the mayor’s announced memorandum of understanding.
“I support economic growth and job creation in Escambia County. I have not been party to the City’s negotiations nor am I familiar with the details of the MOU. I look forward to working with the Mayor and the Chamber as this project evolves. And to discussing this issue with my colleagues on the Commission when we meet in January,” Escambia County Commission Chairman Lumon May said Tuesday night.
Comments
15 Responses to “ST Aerospace Could Bring 300 Jobs To Escambia County”
This is all just a nice way for the mayor and cohort to say, look voters of Pensacola, we are on the job shaking the bushes.
In this day in age it is better to have a mayor and council who do little, rather than one who/that embraces one half baked scheme after another, that does nothing but drain city coffers.
At least he did not have to go to Europe as Valentino did and he accomplished more.
At the end of the day Ashton is all right, he just wants to be the mayor. Somebody has to and he is as good a shoe as any for the fit.
I still curious as to why with no “international” destinations we have an “International” Airport here. Keep hearing there are some in the works but haven’t seen anything definitive yet. Getting the cart before the horse.
It is my understanding to be able to work on aircraft of any type in the United States you need an FAA licence. So unless you plan on being a janitor there, a job will most likely not come to you. Not a decent paying one. This is a good field to be in, but it takes almost 2 years to complete and test for your FAA licence. The location in Mobile does have an apprenticeship program, where you go for two years and they pay for the classes, .com they pay to for on the job training. Then after your first two years they ask you to work for them for two more years to pay back what they invested into you for your classes.Be realistic, if you don’t know much about airplanes at all, then don’t waste your time
“Originally, the project would rely on about $10 million in incentives from Escambia County, but so far the county commission hasn’t approved the deal”.
This has been being negotiated for 18 months. Why has the county been dragging its feet on approval? Back room deal not sweet enough for them? The city owns the property. It appears the Mayor may have found his $10 million elsewhere (BP fund, State, etc).
When the jobs from Gene’s Germany and Paris trips come in, he can “unilaterally” announce them. I won’t hold my breath waiting for the press release.
@allen willis,
The cc may be a little upset about the mayor offering ten millon in incentives that he doesn’t have approval for yet. Hopefully all can be worked out though.
You don’t become an international airport overnight. It has to be developed, and making the Pensacola Airport an international airport is the first step. It is my understanding that a couple of international flights will start next year. The CC of Escambia County are to busy taking care of small interest groups and their own interest, and now they are upset because the Mayor didn’t include them in the announcement. ST Aerospace is well worth the pursuit. They don’t base their business on the number of flights coming into airport. If they did, ST wouldn’t be in Mobile, either. Pensacola International Airport is the busiest airport between Jacksonville and New Orleans. I live in Santa Rosa County and I think it would benefit all of our politicians to pay closer attention to the achievements Mayor Hayward and the Pensacola city council.
Basically, ST brings in flyable large commercial fixed wing aircraft (like is flown daily in and out of the Pensacola airport) and refurbishes them both internally and externally.
Hayward is counting his chickens…like he did something.
Nothing has been done as of yet, don’t hold your breath.
Puff piece, not much substance, just like Hayward.
How funny that Commish Valentino would publicity speak out that he doesn’t even know if he wants to support this?! Think that is because he went over to Germany on OUR tax dollars to try and get the Germans to come here with jobs and they laughed in his face. I say let the mayor do his negotiations with the Commissions blessings to get some paying jobs here! Isn’t that what the job of our elected officials?? Gene just can’t stand to be up staged SMH!!
when would this happening? we need paying jobs now. I’ll believe it when I see it.
what is humm, t.v. news ?
The only thing internation about our airport is the length of the runway so the UPS planes can land there. Lived in another small city that did the same thing when BMW built there and rhe runway was extended there for their cargo planes. Sounded stupid there, sounds stupid here.
The airframes would be coming in for repair from where ever.
Not those or just those that already are or come to P’cola.
A “Memorandum of Understanding” is not much to get exited about.
Especially after supposedly negotiating over the past 18 months.
I believe it basically means the bag of freebies offered has reached a point where the company is now not totally ignoring the possibility of locating something here.
I wonder if there are enough airframes based at or passing through Pensacola International to support a 300 man maintenance and logistics force?
Would this company support NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field and would it include both fixed and rotary wing aircraft?
I feel that our political leaders efforts should be focused on returning carrier training to NAS Pensacola. That would certainly generate maintenance requirements, both marine and aviation.
Humm, t.v. news this morning says the County Commission was kind of blindsided by the mayor’s announcement and that A.H. had canceled a meeting with the CC then made this statement and now seemingly has left town.
T.v. attempt at contacting the mayor or his office for more information had at the time been unsuccessful.
For me, this is one of those things that when I see it and it is successful then I will believe it.
And, what the heck is that thing that looks like an office stapler with Pensacola International Airport on it? “International” my dog’s hind leg. That moniker is more made up junk.