June 12--GREENSBORO -- A private jet manufacturer has decided to build a $60 million expansion at its current operations in Little Rock, Ark., after working with Greensboro officials for five years for a possible expansion at Piedmont Triad International Airport.
Dassault Falcon said in a news release that its expansion will include new construction and the refurbishment of existing buildings.
Dassault's Little Rock operation is the company's largest, and has been in the city for 38 years.
The Greensboro Economic Development Alliance said in a news release that it worked closely with the N.C. Department of Commerce and Piedmont Triad International Airport for five years in an effort to bring the Falcon Jet expansion to Greensboro.
Greensboro and Triad economic development officials are pushing to increase the aviation industry in the region, which includes Honda Aircraft Co., Cessna Citation and TIMCO jet maintenance companies at the airport.
Dan Lynch, the alliance's president, said in a news release that "while disappointed that Greensboro is not getting this expansion project, we are very encouraged by the fact that Greensboro was a finalist community for this project, and encouraged by the extremely positive feedback that we received from the management team at Dassault Falcon Jet."
Dassault complemented the region's efforts to expand aviation and said the workforce and training would have been an advantage, Lynch said.
The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport gave Dassault an incentive package totaling more than $40 million in rent credits over the next 40 years, according to a report by Arkansas Business.
Copyright 2013 - News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
