Jul. 21—A New Iberia company that specializes in painting commercial aircraft said it will spend $2.5 million to expand its services to include aircraft maintenance and conversion services, a move that will create 100 new jobs.
The new jobs at Aviation Exteriors Louisiana will have an average salary of nearly $57,000, plus benefits, according to Louisiana Economic Development. The company has 83 employees.
Aviation Exteriors said it will develop a new aircraft maintenance hangar at Acadiana Regional Airport near New Iberia with extensive tooling and equipment so it can offer the new services. Work has started on the expansion, but a completion date has not been released.
Aviation Exteriors was founded in 1990 and focused on commercial aircraft painting. After about 10 years, the firm moved in to painting military aircraft and corporate jets. The company grew from strictly commercial airline painting in its first decade to include military aircraft and corporate jets. The business was recently acquired and Jerry Hernandez, CEO of Aviation Exteriors, said he wants to move into offering maintenance, repair and overhaul services. This will allow the company to fill a void in the market.
"The company's culture and operations coupled with the support of local agencies and the state are a definite recipe for success and align with our customers' values and long-term needs," Hernandez said in a statement.
The state offered Aviation Exteriors an incentive package that includes the services of LED FastStart and a performance-based grant of $2 million for upgrades to a 60-year-old aircraft maintenance hangar that the company will lease from the Iberia Parish Airport Authority. The company also is expected to participate in the state's Industrial Tax Exemption Program.
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