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Economic incentives for PTI Airport could mean new manufacturers and jobs

The runway area outside of the Piedmont Triad International Airport. KERI BROWN/WFDD

A major aircraft manufacturer could be coming to the Triad. A state budget amendment bill earmarks more than $106 million for development at the Piedmont Triad International Airport.

The Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) would be for a “high yield” airplane manufacturer in Guilford County. The bill also lays out how those funds would be spent for improvements. It includes site preparation, roadwork and construction for one or more new hangers.

It's unclear how many jobs this project could bring, but the average annual wage would be at least $60,000.

State lawmakers close to the potential plan didn't return a request for comment.

Several aerospace manufacturers already call PTI home including Honda and FedEx. In a press release, airport officials say they can't discuss specifics of ongoing economic development projects. They say that the authority has focused on preparing nearly 1000 acres for industry growth over the last decade.

This isn't the only project in the Piedmont Triad region that could benefit from economic incentives.

The new state budget includes $300 million for potential development at the Greensboro-Randolph County megasite. State and local officials have been trying to entice an automotive manufacturer to locate there for years.

North Carolina was a top contender for a Toyota/Mazda plant at that site in 2018. 

According to Bloomberg News, Toyota is eyeing the site again, this time for a battery manufacturing facility.

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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