Gulf Avionics, an aircraft maintenance company, is the latest aerospace business to land at the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport.
The subsidiary of Dallas holding company E.H. Caddis and Co. expects to create 50 jobs over the next five years at its new Hill Country headquarters.
The move "is going to help really transform the area," said Gil Salinas, executive director of the Kerr Economic Development Council. "With some of the activity that we're seeing, especially in the aerospace sector, we are now kind of transitioning into an emerging economy."
The company, which isn't receiving local government incentives for the move, specializes in aircraft avionics sales, upgrades, installation and repair, in addition to aircraft maintenance.
A five-person team has already moved into a 7,000-square-foot hangar at the airport, according to Chris Todtenhausen, Gulf Avionics' vice president of business development.
The company chose Kerrville because of the many aircraft based in the surrounding areas and low competition from similar companies, Todtenhausen said.
"Within 200 miles, there's about 800 jets or private aircraft," he said. In Harlingen, where the company was previously headquartered, the number was between 150 to 200.
San Antonio International Airport was the company's original target, but hangar space there "was in a different price category than what we were looking for," he said. "And then we came across Kerrville, and truthfully, the decision became pretty obvious for us pretty quick."
The bucolic Hill Country was another attraction.
"We were looking for a niche area that was unique and off the grid," Todtenhausen said. "It would be an experience, not just a place to get work done on your aircraft."
Beyond aviation maintenance technicians, the company is also seeking people with woodworking, electronics, engineering, cabinetry, upholstery and other skills for jobs that could pay up to $75,000.
Gulf is the second aviation company to move to Kerrville, which has a population of 23,000 and is roughly 60 miles northwest of San Antonio.
In August, North Dakota-based Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing announced plans to expand to Kerrville, potentially bringing 400 jobs over the next 20 years. KMM makes circuit cards, wire harnesses and fiber-optic products for aerospace and aviation companies, as well as the military.
The 92-year-old Mooney International Corp. is also headquartered in Kerrville. The aircraft manufacturer, however, has had a rough go over the last two years, with ownership changes and and layoffs.
"It's clear to us that companies are seriously looking at relocating to Kerr County, a rapidly growing commercial hub and home to manufacturers, medical facilities and the aerospace sector," Kerrville Mayor Bill Blackburn said in a statement.
Salinas said the Kerr EDC is in talks with two additional aviation companies.
"They're very preliminary at this time, but again, a lot of it has to do with Killdeer coming in and then also with Gulf Avionics," he said. "Success breeds success, and we're starting to see that activity being generated."
Brandon Lingle writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. [email protected]
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