Great Falls lands Calgary-based aviation firm Avmax

Avmax http://www.avmax.ca/ , a Calgary-based aviation company, announced Tuesday that it will bring 70 to 80 aircraft maintenance jobs to Great Falls by as early as next spring.

The company, which does required maintenance checks and repairs on mid-sized regional jets, could expand in phases by an additional 200 jobs within five years.

That’s what company executives told a boisterous group of Great Falls business and civic leaders in a meeting room at Great Falls International Airport.

Avmax pays mechanical and technical workers hourly wages from $10 to $31 in Canadian dollars, plus benefits. That converts to about $8.50 to $26.50 American dollars.

"After an extensive search of locations, we found Great Falls to be the best location for our expansion into the U.S.," said Don Parkin, Avmax executive vice president.

By PETER JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Writer

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Avmax an economic development poster child

It’s not looking to be a white Christmas in northcentral Montana this year, but prospects for adding some green to the area got a boost this week with news of a significant new enterprise at Great Falls International Airport.

It is Calgary-based Avmax, which announced Tuesday that it will set up shop in Great Falls early next year.

It will start with 70 to 80 jobs, doing the mandatory maintenance on mid-size commercial jets in a large, existing hangar on Gore Hill.

If things go well, it could expand by an additional 200 jobs within five years — and they’re high-quality jobs with a pay scale ranging from about $8.50 to $26.50 an hour.

The news is welcome and exciting on a number of levels, starting with the direct boost it will give to the area’s economy through the payroll, purchasing and its lease.

Beyond that, however, the Avmax project is a poster-child for how economic development gets done.

Almost a year ago, a consultant for the company contacted Great Falls officials, who immediately got to work.

The culmination was Tuesday when the press conference resembled a love fest.

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