State Grant Helps NS Aviation Locate in Winston-Salem
A start-up provider of aircraft
maintenance and repair services will locate in Forsyth County,
North Carolina, with plans to create 308 jobs and invest $1.27
million during the next four years in Winston-Salem. North Carolina
Governor Bev Perdue (pictured) announced the deal to bring NS
Avaition to Winston-Salem last week, which was made possible in
part by a $300,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.
“NS Aviation is part of North Carolina’s
transformation to a highly-skilled, knowledge-driven economy, as
they join the growing aerospace industry in the Triad,” said
Gov. Perdue. “Not only are our workforce,
infrastructure and strong-business climate helping us attract new
investments, but we are helping hundreds of North Carolina families
get back on their feet.”
NS Aviation, a start-up provider of aircraft maintenance and
repair services, plans to open a maintenance facility at Smith
Reynolds airport in Winston-Salem. The facility, originally
built and operated by Piedmont Airlines, was most recently the home
of Pace Airlines which ceased operations in 2009. NS Aviation
plans to revive much of the former repair business of Pace Airlines
and expects to hire many of the former Pace employees that are
currently unemployed.
Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage
for the new jobs will be $42,072. The Forsyth County average
annual wage is $41,912.
“We are very excited to bring new job opportunities to
Winston-Salem and give people an opportunity to work for a locally
owned company,” said Charlie Creech, President of NS
Aviation. “A lot of people have worked very hard to
bring this to reality.”
“This area is blessed with tremendous aviation experience
and we will be proud to show off home grown talent,” added
Russ Kota, Vice-President of Maintenance.
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance, through local
governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate
economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies
receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment
performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These
grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.
“When companies like NS Aviation are looking for a home, they
want highly-skilled workers and an infrastructure and business
climate that will enable them to flourish,” said Sen. Linda
Garrou, of Winston-Salem. “They knew they could find it in
North Carolina.”
“North Carolina is able to attract companies like NS
Aviation because, even in these difficult times, we continued to
invest in the education and training that build a skilled
workforce,” said Rep. Earline Parmon, of Winston-Salem.
The governor's office says that through Perdue’s JobsNOW
initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train and
retrain its workforce, and lay the foundation for a strong and
sustainable economic future.