| |
Laurentian Aerospace was landed within 30 days from the first meeting
Press Republican, by Dan Heath - June 20, 2006
PLATTSBURGH—The Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce and its local partners pulled together the deal to bring Laurentian Aerospace Corp. to Plattsburgh within 30 days.
Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said a friend from the Montreal business community had mentioned the maintenance, repair and overhaul startup to him last fall. The friend said he would put the people behind the project in touch with the chamber. But for some reason, the call never came.
Douglas saw the friend again at an aerospace industry meeting at Mount Tremblant in May. The friend called Laurentian Aerospace officials, then came back and gave Douglas the names of the key players and told him to meet them the next day in Montreal.
"I checked the names and realized this was a big thing," Douglas said.
He and the chamber team put together and delivered a presentation within 24 hours.
"Our goal that day was just to get a second meeting. They decided to take a look at us."
That was critical, as Laurentian Aerospace was already at the 11th hour for site selection. Chief Financial Officer Robert Caron said the company already had offers from a few airports in Canada.
"The state and county worked very fast. They changed our mind," Caron said. "We visited many airports. This one has by far the best setup."
Laurentian Aerospace was attracted by the lack of congestion at Plattsburgh International Airport, the workforce availability, the lease and reduced landing fees, as well as its scenic location and proximity to Montreal.
Caron said landing fees usually run $5,000 to $10,000 at airports but are only 10 to 20 percent of that figure here.
The Development Corporation President Adore Kurtz said that agency was in on the meetings with Laurentian Aerospace and helped set lease rates and landing fees.
"The county is in a position where most of the airport functions are funded by the federal government. When users come, we don't have to set rates that help us recoup our investment," she said.
Douglas said he told Laurentian officials he had three surprises for them. The first was a meeting with New York State Sen. Betty Little at the chamber.
During that meeting came surprise No. 2; New York State Gov. George Pataki called and spoke with Laurentian Aerospace President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Gobeil, telling him he was making bringing the company to Plattsburgh a personal priority.
The third surprise was a phone call with U.S. Rep. John McHugh, who discussed Laurentian Aerospace's ability to compete for Department of Defense contracts.
Douglas said he saved a fourth surprise for a week later. Susan Merrell, North Country regional director for U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's office, took part in the site-selection meeting, and Clinton and McHugh helped underscore the possibility of bidding for Department of Defense work when Laurentian Aerospace officials visited Washington.
The final negotiations took place on Wednesday, June 7. Douglas and Clinton County Administrator Michael Zurlo met with Gobeil and cleared up details during the morning, then waited for the final offer of incentives from New York state, which came at 1 p.m.
Those incentives include Empire Zone benefits and commitments from Pataki and Little. They each secured half of $3 million in funding from the New York State Department of Transportation's Multi-Modal program, and Little got an additional $500,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's new construction program.
Laurentian is eligible to apply to Empire State Development for a capital grant of up to $6.1 million, which includes $4.1 million for Phase 1 construction.
Additional funding is available through the County of Clinton Industrial Development Agency. Its exempt-facility bonds are designed for use at airports, Kurtz said.
In a press release, IDA Chairwoman Darcy Murnane Mousseau said, "We are delighted to have the opportunity to complement the powerful economic-development strategy New York state has crafted to attract Laurentian Aerospace to New York state and to our region. The agency's exempt-facility bonds offer access to attractive financing, will be the vehicle for Empire Zone real-property benefits for the company and, at the same time, provide full tax revenues for all the affected local taxing jurisdictions."
That means Peru School District, Clinton County and the Town of Plattsburgh will receive their full share of taxes.
Douglas said he will always remember when the deal was sealed.
"At 1:45, I asked Paul, 'Are we at yes?' He stood up and said, 'Yes.'"
Douglas said the chamber has never been prouder of any team effort it has led. Other key players were County Airport Manager Ralph Hensel, Plattsburgh Airbase Redevelopment Corp. President Bruce Steadman and U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkens, he said. 
BACK TO HEADLINES |
|
