By Andy Taylor
Montgomery County Chronicle

Prospects for another aviation company in Montgomery County were announced Tuesday afternoon by the Montgomery County Economic Development Authority.

The name of the aviation manufacturer looking to locate to Coffeyville was not revealed, however economic development officials said the company has hopes of beginning operations by July. The company also intends to land as many as 60 jobs within a three-year period, said Dennis Pruitt, director of the Montgomery County Action Council.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Authority agreed to dedicate $60,000 in sales tax funds for the company should it agree to locate a manufacturing plant in Coffeyville. Those sales tax dollars are contingent upon a performance review of the company’s operations as well as various incentives that will be negotiated between the company and the local units of government.

Because the negotiations between the company and local economic development officials are continuing, officials were tight lipped about the company’s identity. However, Pruitt said he and Coffeyville city manager Jeff Morris had been courting the firm for the past two months.

“Should this happen, it’ll be good news for Coffeyville and all of Montgomery County,” said Pruitt.

Montgomery County also is home to Cessna Aircraft Company’s single-engine assembly plant and Citation Mustang assembly line, both of which are located at the Independence Airport.

The Montgomery County Economic Development Authority was created in 1994 after a one-cent sales tax was established as an incentive for Cessna Aircraft Company and American Insulated Wire Company. Although the one-cent sales tax for those two firms is no longer on the tax rolls, there is still sales tax money remaining in an economic development fund, which is overseen by MCEDA, for those two firms. As of Tuesday, about $132,000 was remaining in the tax fund for Cessna and AIW. The unnamed aviation firm is seeking about $60,000 from that fund with the remainder to be used for previous commitments owed to AIW and Cessna, said Jim Kelly, MCEDA president.

MCEDA had largely been dormant ever since the one-cent sales tax was removed from the tax rolls. When the unnamed aviation company sought a portion of the sales tax money, the MCEDA board was reconvened this week. Several new members had to be appointed to the MCEDA board in the past week because of the death of board members since the MCEDA board went dormant.

MCEDA members present at Tuesday’s meeting included Jim Kelly, Don Hill and Bob Scovel, all of Independence, Trey Cocking and Rob Gill, both of Cherryvale; Danny Scott of Caney; and Stephanie Richardson and John Kidwell, both of Independence.

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