New Plant for Aerospace Company Planned for Bristow, Oklahoma
Source Knight-Ridder / Tribune Business News via NewsEdge Corporation
BRISTOW -- An aerospace company expanding to Bristow should have its manufacturing plant operational in the fall, company officials said Friday.
First Wave Aviation, which has a primary parts distribution site in Tulsa, is expanding to Bristow and bringing 125 new jobs, with the possibility of an additional 375 jobs in the next few years.
The expansion is a light at the end of the economic tunnel for the city, after a decision in 2004 to shut down Kwikset, a door lock company that employed more than 1,200 people and had an estimated annual payroll of $30 million.
Parent company Black & Decker said at the time the jobs would go to Kwikset plants in Mexico and Denison, Texas.
Joe Ihle, director of industrial development for SpiritBank in Tulsa, on Friday said Kwikset's move was "a blow" to the city's economy and called First Wave's expansion "a blessing."
Regardless, Ihle said he and city officials are not backing down from working to attract more businesses to Bristow.
"This by no means is the end of our efforts," Ihle said. "We are always looking for industry."
Ihle said the dirt work at the site will start immediately. In announcing First Wave's plans, Bristow Chamber of Commerce officials said the company will build a $7 million, 220,000-square-foot plant next to Bristow Industrial Park. The building will be completed in about seven months.
Ihle said hiring likely will start as the building nears completion.
He said Bristow did not provide any incentives to First Wave to expand to the city.
First Wave will repair and overhaul commercial airplane structures at its Bristow plant.
The company provides airline industries with aircraft parts, distributes chemicals and lubricants, and supplies maintenance, repair and overhaul services for aircraft.
Groundbreaking ceremonies will start at 1 p.m. Monday. Participating along with Ihle will be First Wave President Ed Clark, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and state Secretary of Commerce Kathryn Taylor.
First Wave is based in Tulsa.
