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Tuesday, Aug. 4, 1998
Amarillo lands helicopter plant
Bell Helicopter Textron will produce V-22 Osprey in West Texas
By CHRIS NEWTON
Associated PressAMARILLO - Bypassing high-tech production capitals such as Fort Worth and Houston, Bell Helicopter Textron announced Monday that it will return to West Texas to produce the V-22 Osprey in Amarillo.
City leaders said Amarillo's selection shows the region has a strong future in technology. The Panhandle city also beat out Arlington, Austin, College Station, Dallas and San Antonio.
``We were competing against the big Texas cities and we won,'' said Amarillo Mayor Kel Seliger. ``We have the best city for this project and we welcome Bell back to Amarillo.''
Bell had a helicopter repair and assembly center in Amarillo for 21 years until the site was closed in 1989. The plant employed 1,800 at its peak and was used during the Vietnam War to repair battle-damaged helicopters.
At a pep rally-like news conference attended by three members of Congress at the Amarillo Civic Center, Bell officials said construction will begin in 90 days on a 450,000-square-foot, $40 million tilt-rotor assembly center set to open in 1999 on 179 acres at Amarillo International Airport.
More than 200 people will work at the center next year, with some 1,200 by 2004. The company said it will produce as many as 100 tilt-rotor aircraft annually at peak production. Company officials expect the factory to have an annual economic impact of $100 million.
Amarillo was one of two finalists along with Fort Worth, Bell Helicopter's base of operations and the site of several production plants.
The city offered an unbeatable financial incentive package, said Bell Helicopter spokesman Mike Cox.
``We considered what was going to be the best value for our company as stockholders,'' Cox said. ``Amarillo's proposal was just by far the best.''
Amarillo's bid provides for lower financing rates on all buildings leased by Bell and a 100 percent tax abatement on all buildings and equipment. The city also donated 65 acres of land, worth more than $500,000, to the project.
Bell Helicopter is a Fort Worth-based subsidiary of Textron Inc. of Providence, R.I.Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web