Aeronautics sector gaining altitude in Idaho
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June 18, 2011 |
By Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter
 There
are a few industries in Idaho that get most of
the limelight. We talk a lot about agriculture,
technology, and lately renewable energy.
But we're fortunate to have a more diverse base
these days, which is a big change from where we
were two decades ago. Over time, diversity
stabilizes our economy, making us less likely to
have disruptive booms and busts. You can see the
results of such single-industry dependence in
some of our former timber communities that have
been devastated by federal forest policies.
That's why I'm glad to see a burgeoning
aeronautics sector taking off and gaining
altitude in Idaho. We're seeing small- and
medium-sized companies throughout the state,
even in some of our more rural areas. That's
gotten the attention of GE Aviation – the
world's largest producer of large and small jet
engines for commercial and military aircraft –
which came to Boise to meet with potential Idaho
suppliers of parts and services.
The number of aeronautics companies here has
grown steadily over the past decade, from 55 in
2001 to 92 today. There are more than 1,000
Idahoans employed by these companies – a
business segment to which we're paying
particular attention as part of my Project 60
efforts to grow and diversify Idaho's economy.
Aircraft and aeronautics parts exports from
Idaho grew rapidly in 2010. The entire segment
grew from $13.7 million to nearly $308 million
year over year. Aircraft parts alone grew from
$2 million to nearly $19 million and aircraft
exports grew from $11.5 million to $18.7
million. The largest segment was for powered
aircraft, which grew from zero to $269.8
million.
Over the past year, several of our companies
reported some great news.
Quest Aircraft in Sandpoint received a
significant investment from private investors
that will help the company ramp up production
and invest in its customer service centers. This
unique company manufactures the Kodiak, a small,
rugged aircraft that's used for everything from
humanitarian missions and charter services to
work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The
company received its FAA certification four
years ago, and since then has delivered aircraft
in more than 10 countries.
The confidence that investors have in Quest
bodes well for the growth of this small startup
business. It took a hit during the economic
downturn but rode out the storm and now is in
good position to grow as the nation continues
its slow recovery.
Empire Aerospace in Hayden also received a boost
a few months ago when it secured a long-term
contract for heavy maintenance and aircraft
modification work for Horizon Air. That meant
creation of about 100 new jobs at Empire's
50,000-square-foot facility at the Coeur d'Alene
Airport. These are jobs that typically pay an
average of $44,000 a year for work that had been
getting done in Portland, Oregon.
Another interesting aviation-related company is
Unitech Composites in Hayden. It's one of the
region's largest manufacturers of composite
products for aerospace, the military and several
other industries. Unitech recently was awarded
some new contracts, including one to produce
better components for the V-22 Osprey – a hybrid
aircraft used by the U.S. military. Unitech will
be working with Boeing on that project, which is
an important connection to Idaho when the
aircraft giant considers additional contracting
opportunities.
A second Unitech contract, awarded last year, is
for work on a pressurized oxygen tank that
soldiers use on missions that take them over
bodies of water. Unitech will reduce the weight
and improve the performance of the product,
increasing breathable air time of the system by
50 percent. That's critical to survivability in
emergency situations.
You might not be familiar with these companies.
After all, flying in Idaho often is seen as a
necessity over our rugged terrain and sometimes
becomes a favorite hobby for enthusiasts, but
seldom is the business end of aviation
highlighted.
The fact is there are a number of companies
serving the aeronautics industry. While most are
relatively small and specialized, together they
do everything from providing interior design
services for corporate aircraft to making
complex composite aircraft parts and even entire
planes.
They are quietly successful. They also are among
our Project 60 Partners, contributing to Idaho's
economic diversity and continued growth.
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