Adam Aircraft sees bright future in Ogden

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. said Ogden was a "perfect match" for the company.

"I've said for some time that there are some things in this state that we can do better than anyone else," Huntsman said with an A500 behind him and the roar of flying aircraft audible inside the hangar. "In today's world, you have to be very careful in defining what you're competitive advantage really is, vis-a-vis your neighbors, and I happen to think one of ours is aerospace design and engineering. . . . Adam Aircraft will be an anchor tenant in this move toward a center of excellence that will include aerospace design, engineering and manufacturing."

The company will have job fairs soon and expects to pay, on average, about $20 per hour. "These are going to be the kinds of jobs we want and need here in the Ogden area," Huntsman said.

In addition to manufacturing and assembly, Adam Aircraft expects jets to be serviced in Ogden.

Adam noted that the Department of Labor estimates that for every aerospace manufacturing job created, three supporting jobs also are created. He expects feeder jobs in Ogden to include those outsourced to metal parts and upholstery companies.

Several speakers lauded Adam for his pioneering work in the design and manufacture of small aircraft. The A500 can hold six people, while the jet will accommodate six to eight. Huntsman described him as a "visionary."

"We live in a very, very lucky time," Adam said. "We're in a renaissance in aviation. We've had breakthroughs in composite materials, breakthroughs in engines, breakthroughs in computer-aided technology."

And while aviation marked its 100th anniversary last year, the last 50 years have not featured much change, he said. "We're now in a time period," he said, "where we can do that."

Utah's other competition to land the facility came from Kentucky and Texas.

Last spring, the Utah Board of Business and Economic Development approved financial incentives to lure Adam Aircraft to put a plant in Ogden. It calls for the company to get a rebate of a percentage of tax revenue generated by the company over 15 years, to a maximum of 30 percent over the life of the project. To get the rebate the company would have to keep operations in Utah at least 15 years. At the time, state officials estimated the rebate could be $10 million net in present value, but that the plant's gross benefits to state coffers could be about $100 million.

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