COMPANY WILL BUILD AT AIRPORT

Aircraft manufacturer Zenair of Canada Ltd. and Independent Manufacturing and Development Co. might start assembling planes in Cape Girardeau within 60 days.

Independent Manufacturing president Mathieu Heintz said he hopes to get started before 60 days.

"We're behind on orders for the single-engine, two-seat training aircraft," he said.

Heintz was in Cape Girardeau Tuesday to announce that his company has agreed to produce the FAA-type certified CH2000/CH2T aircraft at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. Cape Girardeau officials and the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association have negotiated with the company for several months.

"We have been impressed with the assistance and cooperation of everyone concerned on this project," said Heintz. "The location is a central one in the United States, and we have air, water and highway transportation."

Heintz emphasized the company would like to start work here as "quickly as possible and accelerate on a fast track."

Zenair has produced aircraft since 1973. The Cape Girardeau plant will provide for increased production to meet market demand and increase capacity for new aircraft designs.

Zenair has a plant at Mexico, Mo., where it makes experimental aircraft kits for "do-it-yourselfers." The company employs 12 to 15 workers at Mexico and turns out three or four kits a week. People buy the kits, take them home and build their aircraft.

The company will start assembling the new CH2000 in a 6,000-square-foot hangar owned by Jerry Lipps.

"We are producing the components in Canada now," said Heintz. "Once we get into a permanent facility here, the plane will be completely manufactured and assembled here."

Construction of a 40,000-square-foot plant could get under way within two months.

"We should have everything squared away for the new infrastructure by then," said Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III. "We've overcome a lot of issues in this project and still have a few to resolve before this all becomes a reality. But I expect the issues to fall into place quickly."

Three or four potential employees are undergoing training in Canada, said Heintz, adding that when the company starts the assembly process, another four or five people will be hired.

When the plant is finished, the company would employ about 50 people, with plans to expand to more than 100 workers in the future.

The manufacturing jobs will pay $10 to $12 an hour to start, with raises to $15 or $16 an hour.

Independent Manufacturing's vice president and plant manager, Dick Reber, said the company has designs for four-passenger and six-passenger planes.

A number of people were at the airport Tuesday for the announcement and to view the CH2000 aircraft. Among them were airport manager Bruce Loy, who has been instrumental in bringing the company here, J. Fred Waltz, chairman of the airport advisory board; and other airport officials.

Also attending were the mayor, City Manager Mike Miller, Mitch Robinson of the Cape Girardeau Industrial Recruitment Association, Mike Seabaugh of the Missouri State Department of Economic Development, Skip Smallwood of AmerenUE, Tom Shulte of the offices of U.S. Sens. Christopher "Kit" Bond and John Ashcroft, and Greg Branun of U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's office.

Cape Girardeau was one of more than 25 potential sites narrowed to two earlier in the year.

In September, the City Council voted to issue up to $8.5 million in industrial revenue bonds to pay for construction of a building and equipment for the operation. The company would be responsible for paying off the bonds and would own the building and equipment. Zenair would own the building and lease the land from the city.

Spradling said Zenair will be the first industry at the airport and could spark other industries to locate there.

"It's a huge advantage for the airport in a lot of ways," said Loy. Flight testing at the plant would generate fuel sales and increase the airport's number of takeoffs and landings.