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Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne joins Empire moment

"We can do that."
Community and state economic development specialists borrowed Empire Airlines’ motto in a successful effort to bring the company back home to the Coeur d’Alene Airport.

They had to wrest the project from Spokane, where Washington state was offering $1 million in incentives to hang onto Empire Airlines’ heavy maintenance operation which had outgrown its building at Spokane International Airport.

By MIKE McLEAN
Staff writer

http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2004/04/01/business/bus01.txt

In the face of long odds, Idaho officials from the Coeur d’Alene Airport to the Governor’s office in Boise decided "We can do that."

They came up with a $3.5 million economic development package which would make Empire Airlines the first tenant in new developments on the north side of the airport.

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and Empire Airlines CEO Tim Komberec headlined a group of about 80 people who gathered at the Airport Wednesday to celebrate the groundbreaking for the company’s new corporate headquarters and maintenance facility.

"Today we’ve done it," Kempthorne said. "Empire Airlines started here. This is where it needs to grow and expand and nurture."

The company stared in Orofino in 1977 when a dentist and an attorney bought a flight operation to qualify for cheap fuel.

Students and outfitters demanded more from the company.

Empire Airlines established its corporate headquarters at the Coeur d’Alene Airport in 1979.

"Airline employees need to be at the airport," he said. "Several current employees started their careers here with Empire Airlines. A lot of people can’t wait to be right back here."

Coeur d’Alene Airport almost missed out on having a homecoming for Empire Airlines.

"The reasons to be in Spokane were numerous and the obstacles here seemed insurmountable," Komberec said.

But Greg Delavan, Coeur d’Alene Airport manager asked for a shot at landing the company. Soon, Kootenai County, the city of Hayden, the state of Idaho, among others, joined the effort to attract the company known for aggressive innovation and good wages.

"It’s amazing the number of public and private entities that stepped up to make it happen," Komberec said.

The company transports cargo for Federal Express and handles freight for smaller companies and services in 14 states.

Komberec said Empire Airlines specializes in taking on projects that no other airlines are willing to do.

"We say ‘We can do that,’" he said. Then they figure out how to do it.

One of Empire’s greatest challenges was to win a federal government contract on a day’s notice during the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada.

To get the contract, Empire Airlines had to have a Twin Otter cargo plane in Florida within 24 hours.

The company only had one plane available and it needed a new engine, which was in Canada. A crew flew it to Canada, replaced the engine and got it to Miami on time.

"It was a long night and a lot of flying," Komberec said. "It’s a very slow plane."

The effort paid off.

"We were the only airline flying in Grenada after the invasion," Komberec said.

Empire’s new digs will keep its 40 corporate jobs in the Coeur d’Alene area and bring at least 40 high-paying maintenance jobs to the airport with potential for future job growth.

Contractors Northwest will be the general contractor for the new 12,000-square-foot headquarters and 45,000-square-foot maintenance hangar. County building permits are expected to be issued next week.

The maintenance facility is scheduled to open in August and the corporate offices will be ready in September, Komberec said.

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