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Piper to stay in Vero Beach, officials claim

Piper to stay in Vero Beach, officials claim

By Alton K. Marsh

Officials in Vero Beach, Fla., are already declaring victory in the competition to keep Piper Aircraft from moving to either Albuquerque, N.M., or Oklahoma City.

All they need is a winning vote from the Indian River County Commission on Jan. 15 on a $12 million incentive package and a positive announcement from Piper officials, who for the moment aren’t saying anything.

County Commission Chairman Gary Wheeler told The Palm Beach Post that the outlook is “...very, very positive.” He said Piper was facing huge moving costs, mostly from relocating, retraining, and retaining its work force. He said things are “ironed out,” implying negotiations have taken place with Piper.

Piper has some 1,100 employees at its current location.

January 8, 2008

Alton Marsh
Alton K. Marsh
Freelance journalist
Alton K. Marsh is a former senior editor of AOPA Pilot and is now a freelance journalist specializing in aviation topics.

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