Sikorsky decision awaited

BLDC hopeful that aircraft company will sitea design and engineering center here

Local economic development officials are awaiting a decision as to whether Sikorsky Aircraft will site a design and engineering center in Butte.

By Leslie McCartney of The Montana Standard

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2004/09/17/newsbutte_top/hjjfjaicjcghej.txt

Sikorsky representatives toured Butte and Billings about a month ago. Sites in other states also are in contention.

"We’ll just wait and see. But I feel optimistic about our chances," said Jim Smitham of the Butte Local Development Corp., at that group’s monthly meeting Thursday.

Executive director Evan Barrett said that the new owner of the Hennessy Building, Resodyn Corp. of Butte, is favorable to allowing Sikorsky space in that building.

When putting together incentive packages for the aircraft manufacturer, the Hennessy Building — formerly the home of Touch America and bought by Resodyn in TA’s bankruptcy proceedings — was cited as a potential home for the company.

The development board was also cheered by a possible new business coming to Butte through a program approved by the county this week. SeaCast, a manufacturer of precision investment castings, may relocate from Seattle to the Tax Increment Finance Industrial District, bringing with it at least 40 new jobs. SeaCast was founded in 1985 by two Butte natives, Bert and Mike Robins

Officials can use TIFID money to construct an industrial building. The building would in turn be leased through a long-term arrangement and tied to job creation and salary requirements. A job credit incentive would also be part of the package.

Barrett said the model can be used for other projects as well.

"We can take TIFID resources to build infrastructure and then have publicly owned buildings that attract jobs," he said.

Kathy Fasso, the administrator at the TIFID, said that if all goes well and SeaCast accepts Butte’s offer, the company may possibly relocate by next spring, depending on construction of the industrial building.

— Reporter Leslie McCartney may be reached via e-mail at [email protected]