Gov. Gary Herbert says Utah is growing jobs in aerospace industry

LAYTON — Gov. Gary Herbert championed what he called a "triple play" day Thursday for northern Davis County, commemorating a groundbreaking ceremony for a large-scale composites manufacturing company that will be the anchor tenant of a long-dreamed-of aerospace industrial park.

Later, in Clearfield, he helped usher in the announcement that Janicki Industries' efforts up the road will be in tandem with a $100 million capital investment by ATK to locate a composites campus at a Freeport Center building. Over the next 20 years, the facility is expected to create more than 800 full-time skilled-employee positions.

"The aerospace cluster is growing at a remarkable speed," Herbert said, adding that Utah is bucking the national trend and is "growing jobs" in a trendsetting industry.

Those two announcements were followed by an event at Hill Air Force Base where the opening of "Building 674," was officially observed in a ceremony that signals the start of operations for an F-22 composite aircraft overhaul and test facility.

Herbert said the state is positioning itself to continue its aerospace traditions that will leave a legacy for years to come.

It's anticipated that Janicki Industries, a home-grown business in Washington that is branching out to Utah, will be part of the supply chain for Hill and its fleet of aircraft that will tap state-of-the-air composites to make a lighter, more efficient machine.

ATK officials say they already have work set to go to fill commercial and military orders that include the Air Bus 350 and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter or the Lightning.

With the facility at Hill Air Force Base already under consideration as a preferred site for the location of three squadrons of the Lightning, the private business ventures of Janicki and ATK will fill a niche well into the future, noted Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in remarks read at the Layton groundbreaking.

e-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com