Two Florida Counties Play "Can You Top This?"

In an era when GA sales have been slumping overall and commercial air traffic is... well, we're still trying to figure that one out (changing is a safe word that comes to mind), the idea of local governments fighting over a GA plant is kind of refreshing.

That's just what's going on in southern Florida, where Miami-Dade County and Collier County are duking it out for the hand of Safire Aircraft. At stake is a final assembly plant and the 600-700 jobs that go with it.

Shopping for a manufacturing base is fast becoming a trend in aviation -- witness, for instance, Boeing's fabled hunts for a corporate headquarters and then for a home to the 7E7 line. And Callihan says local governments are more than happy to ante up.

In fact, the company at first said it would stay at Opa-Locka. But, perhaps on the coattails of Boeing's success in shopping around, Safire began considering other sites.

"These negotiations, they take a lot of different directions and perhaps at some point there were some issues they weren't totally satisfied with and they decided to explore other options," said Miami Mayor Alex Pinelas.

"It's an exciting program," said Safire spokesman Clayton Callihan, in an interview with Aero-News. "These small, new-generation light jets will change the way people travel. It's an exciting prospect (for local governments) to host this paradigm change."

Like Collier County, Miami-Dade is offering a mixed bag of local and state incentives, many of them tax breaks. Miami's package comes to $19.8 million dollars. Most of the local contribution would cover site preparation at Opa-Locka.

"They have responded to our latest proposals," said Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Pinelas. "Everything is positive at this point, and we are confident they are going to remain here."

Collier's package includes free rent at the Immokalee Regional Airport and a $1 million grant from the county's new Job Investment Creation Program. Still, the Collier County offer stands at about $17.4 million.

"I think we've put together a very good proposal," said Tammie Nemecek, executive director of the Collier EDC, in an interview with the Naples Daily News. "I think the Board of County Commissioners' support and the support from the county manager have been over and above our expectations."

"We're looking at 12 sites in four different states," said Callihan. "We should have a short list by the end of the month and make our final decision in early April." Local and state governments at all 12 sites are offering some measure of incentives, hoping to lure the Safire plant. The company is currently headquartered at Opa-Locka Airport in Miami-Dade County.

FMI: www.safireaircraft.com