Aircraft repair and service company TAT Piedmont – a subsidiary of TAT Technologies Ltd. – is planning a new facility in Guilford County that will mean $13.8 million in capital investment and 85 new full-time jobs.
The Guilford County Board of Commissioners is planning to hold a public hearing before approving a financial incentives agreement for the aviation company later this month.
The county commissioners haven’t discussed the project in open session. However, public notice is required at least 10 days before a public hearing and the board has now scheduled a Thursday, Nov. 18 public hearing to discuss incentives in the amount of $139,400 to support the creation of the new facility that’s expected to generate the jobs and bring in nearly $14 million in new investment.
Two key aviation specialties for TAT Piedmont are landing gear overhaul and the repair and service of auxiliary power units, (APUs), which are systems on a plane that provide power for purposes other than propulsion.
According to the company’s promotional materials, TAT has “facilities to manage the entire repair and overhaul process in-house – providing more control over quality, turn times and cost – leading to better overall value.”
Economic development officials in Guilford County have made aviation one of their top target categories and they’re constantly seeking to attract new business in that industry. Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTIA) has spent nearly a decade designing and building an aviation megasite of about 1,000 acres at the airport to attract companies that require or benefit from nearby runway access.
The county’s public hearing announcement states that “One of the sites being considered for the new facility is located within Guilford County,” however, in the past, when the Board of Commissioners has gotten to the point of holding a public hearing to consider an incentive, that has almost always – if not always – meant that: (A) The company has decided to locate in Guilford County, and (B) A majority of commissioners have agreed to vote to approve incentives.
Board of Commissioner votes on incentives over the last decade have almost always been unanimous.
County documents currently available to the public do not state the address for the new facility.
The public hearing will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18, in the commissioners meeting room on the second floor of the Old Guilford County Court House at 301 W. Market St. in downtown Greensboro.
The official stated purpose of the hearing is to receive public input on the proposed allocation of funds for an Economic Development Incentive Grant for TAT Piedmont.
Sigh. Even more corporate welfare. This is the result of corporate donations to politicians. Like the Zuckerman.