Jan. 22--Gulfstream Aerospace, the Savannah-based maker of business jets, will expand its Glynn County operations by at least 100 jobs and an airport hangar the area of two football fields.
Standing in front of a crowd Tuesday at the company's facility at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport, where about 200 workers are employed in the finishing of aircraft interiors, General Manager Ron Aldrich delivered on the company's promise of a major announcement with positive implications for the area.
"The dream is finally coming true," Aldrich said to resounding applause.
That dream is a $25 million maintenance, repair and overhaul facility to be built near the company's existing hangars. The new building will be about 110,000 square feet -- 73,000 for hangar space and the rest for offices, back shops and parts storage.
The promise of at least 100 more jobs could be just the starting point, Gulfstream President Larry Flynn said.
"We prefer to under-promise and over-deliver," he said. "The majority of these jobs are technical specialists that do maintenance on our aircrafts. They're all highly paying jobs for this community."
While Georgia offers tax exemptions on aircraft parts to lure and keep aircraft manufacturers and maintenance facilities in the state, Glynn County sold itself to Gulfstream, he said.
"We're here because we're confident, not just in the employees here, but the community," Flynn said. "We've got a great relationship, not just with the city, but with the county, the airport, the commissioners. Glynn County is very supportive of Gulfstream, and has always been."
Mel Baxter, chair of the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority, offered a common sentiment Tuesday.
"Thank you to Gulfstream. They chose Glynn County and they have the confidence that we'll do everything we can to make them successful," Baxter said.
"This announcement says a lot about the leadership of Glynn County. Glynn County has a united front. It says to others, 'Hey, the door is open, come on in, let us make you as successful as you want to be.'"
Construction of the new facility is to begin by the end of March, with completion expected by May 2015. The $25 million investment by Gulfstream excludes some utility work that will be provided by the county.
Gov. Nathan Deal had been expected to attend Tuesday's announcement, but did not.
-- Reporter Sarah Lundgren writes about education and other local topics. Contact her at [email protected] or at 265-8320, ext. 322.
Copyright 2014 - The Brunswick News, Ga.
