Aerospace part maker eyes Post Falls
POST FALLS - A manufacturer of parts for the aerospace industry has visions of landing in Post Falls.
Advanced Thermoplastic Composites Manufacturing (ATC) of Spokane Valley has submitted a commercial site plan to the city for an office and manufacturing plant west of Kimball Office.
"We'd be excited to have them come to town," said Shelly Enderud, Post Falls city administrator. "It would help build the tax base and bring better-paying jobs here.
"We've had a mass exodus of young people leaving and older people coming, so our population has gone up and our workforce has gone down. We'd like to turn that."
ATC currently employs 71 and expects to expand that number by 30 to 45 in 2015, city officials said.
Enderud said ATC has indicated that it would like to start moving dirt at the site this fall.
Dan Jorgenson, ATC president, could not be reached for comment. The company was established in 2004 and started production in 2006. ATC specializes in the press forming of thermoplastic composites - materials which are processed with heat - primarily for the aerospace industry.
The Post Falls City Council will consider financial components to the ATC proposal during a special meeting at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
City officials said neither a revised site plan nor project narrative, which would include the size of the ATC facility and a building permit application, have been submitted to the city. They also said it's unclear if the Post Falls facility would be a business expansion or a complete relocation.
The council will consider setting up a three-member industrial development corporation (IDC), a state-approved economic development tool which offers tax-free bonds to finance manufacturing projects. The corporation will include members with financial backgrounds and will not include city staff members.
Enderud said ATC is seeking about $4.2 million worth of bonds for the project.
The council will also consider waiving permit processing fees (staff time) for the project. Such soft costs can be used as city matching funds to obtain the financing. The council has agreed to waive staff time for other economic development projects in the past such as Ground Force Worldwide.
"No city funds can be expended on the project as far as hard costs, but we can waive fees," Enderud said. "That's what the state requests. The state wants economic development, but it also wants to see cities participate."
The council will also consider an indemnification agreement with Lakeside Capital Group.
"It ensures the city does not end up with any liability in establishing the corporation," Enderud said of the agreement.
IDCs have been formed for economic development projects in other Idaho cities, including Boise, Eagle, Fruitland, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls and Mountain Home.
The proposed ATC site is in the former West Seltice Urban Renewal District, which is one of the few URDs in the state to close, so infrastructure is available at the site.
The address for the site is 1224 N. Lean St. just north of Seltice Way. The Haskins Company of Spokane has been tapped as the general contractor for the project. Simpson Engineers of Spokane Valley and Stone Creek Land Design and Development of Spokane are also working on the project.
ATC isn't the first aerospace manufacturer to eye Post Falls this year. Unitech Composites of Hayden considered applying for an Idaho Community Development Block Grant to make infrastructure upgrades at the former Jacklin Seed facility, but later decided against it.