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City, County Approve Incentives for Cessna Jobs
Date: April 15, 2008
Contact: Communications Team
 : (316) 268-4351
Documents to download:
Mayor Carl Brewer at the April 5th news conference announcing Cessna's plan to locate the Columbus plant in Wichita.
In background: Sen. Carolyn McGinn, Senate President Steve Morris, US Rep. Todd Tiahrt, and House Speaker Melvin Neufeld. | During a joint Tuesday meeting, the Wichita City Council and the Sedgwick County Commission unanimously approved an incentives package for a Cessna Aircraft Company project boasting more than a 1,000 jobs and a $74 million annual payroll.
The incentives package features a forgivable $10 million loan ($5 million each from the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County), the consolidation of Cessna’s 11 existing leases into a single 50-year lease agreement and tax breaks. The city-county action follows State of Kansas approval last week of a $35 million incentives package including loans and bonds.
Cessna is investing $780 million into development of the Citation Columbus, its newest and largest business jet. That includes $200 million in a new plant and new equipment.
Mayor Carl Brewer said the incentives package is an investment during a time of global competition, citing studies showing each local aviation job produces three more jobs.
“Competitors across the country and the globe are threatening to take jobs out of Wichita,” Brewer said. “The package brings high-paying jobs to the Wichita area and reinforces our standing as the world leader in aviation manufacturing and the Air Capitol of the World.”
Sedgwick County Chairman Tim Winters said securing the Cessna Columbus project strengthens a robust job market.
“This vote represents an even stronger economy,” Winters said, “by securing a project that is the envy of other states and countries.”
Cessna’s preliminary plans call for construction of more than 800,000 square feet of buildings and 14 acres of airfield pavement. The new plant will be a stand-alone facility, which will house engineering offices and final assembly of the Columbus, a state-of-the-art $27 million business jet.
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