Aircraft manufacturer celebrates opening

~ The company says it will build up to 15 planes its first year of production.

The Commander Premier Aircraft production and repair facility is officially open for business at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

CPAC president and CEO Joel Hartstone and CFO and managing director Claudia Horn were on hand with city officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening.

Currently the plant is only doing aircraft repairs, but Hartstone said he expects to receive FAA approval for the production quality assurance program, allowing CPAC to start production of new parts and new aircraft. Once that program is approved, CPAC can apply for FAA authority to accept parts from subcontractors and vendors.

CPAC also has designs to assemble parts on site in Cape Girardeau. In order to assemble crucial parts like ailerons, flaps and gear doors, the facility will need further FAA authorization.

Hartstone said the facility will employ 40 to 45 workers. He said the company will produce 14 or 15 planes in the first year of production, with hopes to refurbish an equal number of older planes on site.

Hartstone said the city of Cape Girardeau wowed the corporation during the courting period.

"The facility is perfect. We looked at an awful lot of buildings and an awful lot of locations," he said. "We started with 150, and then we narrowed it down to 25, and then we narrowed it down to a dozen and then two, and at the end we made the right choice."

Hartstone said city officials made the company's move from Oklahoma City an easy one.

"Everything from how to turn on the phone service to finding housing for the relocating employees was laid out on a red carpet for us by professionals with a military precision," he said.

Councilman Matt Hopkins said CPAC's presence will have a ripple effect on the local economy. "When someone comes to town to buy a new aircraft, they must go through training, which requires one or two weeks of time, so people will stay here in town for that time during their training."

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245