Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Provo Mayor Lewis K. Billings announced this afternoon that Duncan Aviation, a company that services corporate jets, will build a repair hangar at Provo Municipal Airport. The Nebraska-based Duncan will make Provo its regional service center for the West.
Jason Perry, executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, said Duncan joins Jet Aviation, which received state help to build a repair facility in Ogden, in making the state a regional aviation-repair center.
"This is the place to bring planes for repair," Perry said.
Duncan will receive a $6.6 million post-performance tax incentive to expand in Utah. The incentive is payable only if the company meets certain requirements over the next 15 years, such as creating 650 jobs and generating $336 million in wages.
But Perry said the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to install air-traffic-control radar in Provo helped cinch the deal with Duncan, which entertained offers from New Mexico.
"It was a very important consideration," Perry said. The radar will cover a blind spot in Salt Lake City's air-traffic-control system, making it easier for flights to go to and from Provo.
Perry said the state incentives are paired with incentives from Utah County, Provo and the Provo School District. He said landing Duncan was a "unified effort" by state and local officials.
