A waiting game on aircraft's plant site

Utah remains in a holding pattern over the possible landing of a new aircraft manufacturing plant.

Colorado-based Adam Aircraft Industries Inc. has been mulling over Utah's financial incentives, plus those from a few other sites, as it decides the best place to produce business jet aircraft — a move that will mean several hundred jobs to the winning site.

In March, Rick Adam, the company's founder and chief executive officer, told the Utah Board of Business and Economic Development that Ogden was a finalist for the facility, along with Kentucky and Texas, and that the company hoped to have manufacturing operations under way by year-end.

But Utah officials have heard no decision from the company's board of directors.

Telephone calls to the company were not returned Wednesday, but both Ogden Mayor Matthew Godfrey and David Harmer, executive director of the Utah Department of Community and Economic Development, said they believe Utah is the front-runner.

"We've been told by some in the company that our offer is still the best one they have. . . . No one has come back to me to indicate otherwise or come back to say, 'Can you modify your offer to be more competitive?' or anything like that," Harmer said. "Our offer is an excellent one, and we hope it will win the day, but it's troubling that they're taking so long to commit."

"We understand we're still in the running and that they've not made a final decision," Godfrey said. "We're still in the queue. We've been in contact with them, and we think we've only become a more compelling destination over time and hope we put the deal together at some point."

Rick Adam said in March that the plant could have 400 to 500 workers within three years, "but we think it will be a lot more than that."

Utah's financial incentives to Adam Aircraft would be in the form of tax rebates. The state's rebate would be a percentage of tax revenue generated by the company over 15 years and a maximum of 30 percent over the life of the project. The company would have to commit to keep the operations in Utah for at least 15 years. However, gross benefits to the state could be about $100 million.

Based in Centennial, formerly Englewood, Adam Aircraft has plans to build propeller and jet aircraft. Its twin-piston aircraft, costing $895,000, is approaching certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. The A700 AdamJet is undergoing initial flight testing and is expected to cost about $2 million.