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
