Airborne To Expand Its St. George Office

Pete CodellaNews, Tax Credits

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is pleased to announce that Airborne ECS will expand its facility in St. George, Utah, creating up to 73 new high-paying jobs in the next seven years. 

“We’re happy that Airborne has decided to expand its St. George location,” said Val Hale, GOED’s executive director. “This expansion will create high-paying jobs for engineers and technicians with salaries much higher than the area’s average wage.”

Airborne designs and integrates the assembly of complex environmental control systems (ECS) for aerospace applications. Airborne is the only company that gives its customers full digital control over all environmental aspects, including pressure, volume and temperature. The company fabricates the world’s lightest, most cost-effective ECS using composites and 3-D printed materials, all designed in-house.

“We’re doing something special here,” said Brian McCann, CEO of Airborne ECS. “Next-gen aerospace is interesting because of the technological and economic upside. There’s a lot of momentum building up to challenge traditional industry dogma and bureaucracy through the power of advanced analytics and data collection. Airborne has a lot of momentum in that regard, and we’re excited to make our long-term home in St. George.”

Airborne may earn up to 15% of the new state taxes it will pay over the seven-year life of the agreement in the form of a Utah Legislature-authorized Economic Development Tax Increment Finance (EDTIF) tax credit. The GOED Board has approved a post-performance tax credit not to exceed $1,433,643. Each year that Airborne meets the criteria in its contract with the state, it will earn a portion of the total tax credit. 

“Just as RAM Company has experienced, we believe that Airborne will find the quality of the region’s workforce, distribution infrastructure, and quality of life to be top-notch,” said Theresa A. Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “Congratulations to the City of St. George and St. George Area Economic Development on the area’s continued aerospace growth.”

State of Utah Tax Credit Projections by the Numbers

Tax Revenue$9,557,618
Wages$23,246,659
Jobs73
Capital Investment$20 million
Timeline7 years

About Utah Corporate Incentives

The Utah Legislature has authorized economic development incentives in the form of post-performance tax credits. Eligible companies work with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development to outline specific performance criteria. Once GOED confirms those criteria have been met, according to statute (U.C.A. 63N-2-106(2)), companies can receive a refund of up to 30% of the state taxes they paid for up to 20 years. The contract with the state is post-performance; it only provides a state tax credit if the company meets its obligations.