Warm weather and cold cash lure jobs to Myrtle Beach
Arizona-based jet repair company Kingman Airline Services is bringing 180 jobs to Myrtle Beach, officials announced Wednesday.
Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus said the company will receive $150,000 from Horry County provided it creates all 180 jobs and holds them for five years, as well as make $2.5 million in capital investments in the area, such as purchasing new equipment and upgrading their facilities.
The company, which repairs commercial and corporate jets, is setting up shop in an empty hangar at Myrtle Beach International Airport and will receive an additional $100,000 from the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
The county will also receive $150,000 from the Myrtle Beach Air Force Redevelopment Authority to repair the hangar doors and the fire suppressant system in the hangar that the company will move into, Lazarus said.
Kingman Airline Services CEO Kevin Dolan said the jobs will range from forklift drivers to aviation mechanics to support staff such as human resources personnel. Those interested in applying should go to the company’s website.
Dolan said some of its customers had asked them for a location on the East coast, and Myrtle Beach was a perfect fit. This will be Kingman’s first expansion outside of Arizona.
“Part of it is the weather obviously,” he said. “It’s difficult sometimes in a cold-weather environment to do some of the things we do so having moderate weather here made a big difference. It’s centrally located, it’s an international airport, so we think it’s a great fit for us.”
Josh Kay, president of the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp., said he visited the company in Arizona earlier in the year, and the EDC thought the company’s business model was a good fit.
“Certainly we had other conversations, but Kingman by far has risen to the top as the one we wanted to do business with,” he said.
Christian Boschult, 843-626-0218, @TSN_Christian
This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Warm weather and cold cash lure jobs to Myrtle Beach."