Deseret News: General Dynamics/Jet Aviation Deal won't affect plans for Ogden

Jet Aviation remains committed to its plan to set up Hinkley Field operations in the fall

On August 27 we published this reader-submitted article, announcing that General Dynamics had agreed to acquire the Swiss aircraft maintenance and service company Jet Aviation. During our discussion of this announcement, at least one of our readers expressed concern that this percipient aquisition might jeopardise Jet Aviation's earlier announced plan to set up shop at Ogden's Hinkley Field.

The Deseret News furnishes some new information this morning on the subject, which we'll interpret as "optimistic." From this morning's Deseret News story:

Jet Aviation's acquisition by General Dynamics Corp. is "not really" a factor in whether it goes forward with plans to put operations in Ogden, a Jet Aviation spokesman said Monday.
Patrick Sniffen, vice president of marketing and communications for Jet Aviation, said that while the company has yet to act on a financial incentive from the state of Utah, the company is working on the business model and is optimistic to have some activities operating in Ogden early next year.
"We're optimistic that this is going to occur," Sniffen said. "At this point, I'm not hearing any reservations from our folks here ... From the information I've been given, it's all systems go." [...]
"The Ogden matter really predated the General Dynamics deal, so while there will be some consideration, it's not really a factor in the decisionmaking process at the moment," Sniffen said. [...]
Jet Aviation, a Swiss company, said in May that it had signed a letter of intent with Kemp Development Inc. of Ogden to have Jet Aviation Ogden in operation by this fall, adding up to 200 people over the next two years. Sniffen said Monday that some maintenance and other operations could be in place as early as January or February.

While none of this amounts to a "done deal," at least nobody seems willing to say that Jet Aviation's original expansion plan has been cancelled, or even put on "hold," either.

We're filing this one under the topic heading, "Keeping our fingers crossed." What a shame it would be, we believe, if poor old FOM* Mel Kemp were to be jilted a second time in a row.

And what say our gentle readers about all this?

*Friend of Matt (Godfrey)