OKC considered for manufacturing plant.

[metro]

I sure hope they pick OKC and move before they sell.

[Doug Loudenback]

I wonder how, if at all, (1) the FAA center here and (2) Wiley Post being former home of Aero Commander / Gulfstream might fit into the mix?

[HOT ROD]

^ that's exactly what I was thinking Doug. I know Wiley Post already has facilities!!! Perfect fit!! and jobs/aviation activity desparately needed at that airport.

[venture]

The FAA Center probably has zero impact on this...i think the big thing will be existing facilities on an air field they can ramp up quick or is cheap, or where construction of new facilities will be subsidized or done (cost) at a lower than average rate.

[Doug Loudenback]

I occasionally google to see what's going on with this ... fwiw, I found this snippet just now in a 10/11/07 article at Russ Lemmon: Dodgers' slow pace frustrating : Indian River County : TCPalm , a newspaper in the Vero Beach area, I guess.

Meanwhile, Piper spokesman Mark Miller said the process cannot move forward until the final offers — which would include terms and conditions — from Albuquerque, N.M., Oklahoma City and Vero Beach have been received. (Vero Beach's offer of $36 million includes $20 million from the state.)

"Until we have something specific, we can't really act," he said.

Miller said after the final offers are reviewed, Piper's board of directors — which includes members of the board of directors of Piper's parent company, American Capital Strategies — will meet and decide where to build the PiperJet manufacturing plant.

So, if not already done, it may be that behind the scenes that Okc is putting together its "final" offer ... but that's just me musing about that which I do not know!

[metro]

Anybody heard anything at all on this? I've heard ZERO lately.

[venture]

Piper is staying in Vero Beach. The city offered about $12 million in incentives.

This is was a done deal in January. Again...it was nothing more than Piper playing Vero Beach against OKC and ABQ to get a better deal. Exactly what Boeing did for the 787 production line.

[metro]

And we couldn't beat their $12 million in incentives? We just passed a $75 million bond for economic development incentives.

[venture]

You are missing the point. It was never OKC's to get...or ABQ. The whole bidding process was nothing but to get Vero Beach's numbers right and to a level Piper wanted. They weren't going to pick up and move.

[AFCM]

Bummer.

[metro]

You are missing the point. It was never OKC's to get...or ABQ. The whole bidding process was nothing but to get Vero Beach's numbers right and to a level Piper wanted. They weren't going to pick up and move.

No, I completely understand that, but MY POINT is that we couldn't scrap together enough incentives to make them move, despite not really wanting to move? $12 million doesn't sound like very much to me. Heck, I'm pretty sure ABQ threw $90 million in incentives for them to move. Now tell me you wouldn't think twice about that if you're originally only after $12 million.

[jbrown84]

If their executives didn't really plan to move, they aren't going to, no matter how much you offer them. Relocations costs would have been high.

[venture]

50 years of history, extensive work force already in place, and of course a location close to the coast. Why would you move? LOL

There were obviously two sets of numbers. What Vero Beach needed to hit to keep them there, and what other cities needed to cough up to move everything there.

[zuluwarrior0760]

If it truly is the case that Piper was never intending to move
regardless, then that would indicate that they were negotiating
with OKC and ABQ in bad faith.

ABQ and OKC both incur very real expenses in chasing these types of deals.
If companies make it a snipe hunt, then what you will eventually have
is cities requiring that potential suitors reimburse them a set amount of $$
if they stay in the city they are in........If Piper had to pay OKC and ABQ
6 Million each, then that would pretty much put an end to companies
"working" cities while their hidden agenda is to keep what they've got.

As to why a company would want to move from the Coast? How bout housing is still high, the economy still sucks. Never in history has there been such a disparity between the rest of the U.S. and OKC in terms of the overall economy. If it continues, you'll see a lot of companies considering moving from both coasts, and we won't need to give them any incentives at all.......

[Kerry]

I talked with my in-laws (long time Vero residents) on Saturday and they said Piper has not made a decision yet on what they are doing.

[Curt]

I for one hope OKC gets the facility..of course I have my motives, trying to find a good paying job in Oklahoma has all but proven to be impossible, I just wish they'd do something to attract automotive companies..without a union of course.

[andy157]

I for one hope OKC gets the facility..of course I have my motives, trying to find a good paying job in Oklahoma has all but proven to be impossible, I just wish they'd do something to attract automotive companies..without a union of course.

I get the sense that you are anti-union. If thats true, thats fine. It's your business, not mine. But, if you are looking for a good paying job, then I would think you would welcome a union in this manufacturing plant. Based on the general rule of thumb that a union plant will pay more than a non-union plant. And, since Oklahoma is a Right-to-work State you can get the good pay and benefits, without joining or paying dues to the union.

[Doug Loudenback]

Here's a follow-up story on Piper's May 28 announcement that it would stay in Vero Beach: The team that saved Piper Aircraft

[mmonroe]

I think assassinations are in order...

[Kerry]

The agreement calls for Piper, which employs about 1,200 people and has been in Vero Beach for more than 50 years, to increase employment to 1,417 by 2012 as it develops and builds its new PiperJet.

With the new cost of jet fuel good luck keeping the agreement.

[Midtowner]

OKC was used as a bargaining chip in Piper's game to get free money from the California taxpayers.

Kind of disgusting, really.

[mmonroe]

California?? I thought they were in Florida.