Recently, Gov. Edwards joined Andreas Löwenstein, CEO of Kopter Group AG, and a number of state, regional, and local officials to celebrate Kopter’s Selection of Lafayette for assembly of its newest helicopter, the SH09.
Kopter’s site will be located at the Lafayette Regional Airport, and includes a $4.2 million capital investment to modify and equip a state-of-the-art, 84,700-square-foot helicopter assembly building at the Lafayette airport. Hiring and production is estimated to begin later this year, with deliveries beginning as early as 2021 and ramping up to 100 helicopters per year by 2025.
“Kopter’s decision to establish this strategically important production and support center in Acadiana is evidence of our region’s reputation as a hub of manufacturing excellence,” said President and CEO Troy Wayman of One Acadiana. “Kopter’s exciting and innovative entry into the rotor wing market will serve as a strong anchor for Acadiana’s aviation sector. We are particularly proud to share this historic announcement with them as they establish a U.S. presence in Acadiana.”
The deal is the result of formal discussions between the company and LED that begin in October of 2018, and includes the use of LED’s FastStart® services—the nation’s No. 1 state workforce training program—as well as a competitive incentive package that includes performance-based grants extending through 2024.