12/6/2006
Media Contact:
Justin Ohlemiller, [317] 327-3690 |
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Peterson: Landmark WellPoint deal completes turnaround of once-vacant maintenance facility
Indianapolis – Spring 2003 marked what Mayor Bart Peterson has called one of the "darkest" times in Indianapolis’ history, when United Airlines officially announced that it was abandoning the state-of-the-art Indianapolis Maintenance Center (IMC) and jettisoning thousands of good-paying jobs.
Emerging from those dark days, Peterson and airport officials announced that WellPoint’s new lease with the Indianapolis Airport Authority completes the turnaround of the once-vacant IMC.
The Fortune 500 company’s 11-year, 120,000 square foot lease means that the entire, mammoth 248-acre IMC will be under contract and in use by the end of 2007.
After WellPoint hires all 900 new workers as part of the expansion of its specialty pharmacy business housed at the IMC, the former airline maintenance center will employ more than 2,000 people – nearly equaling the number of workers employed by United during its last year of operations at the IMC.
"The turnaround at the IMC is nothing short of remarkable," Peterson said. "We’ve worked very hard to bring new jobs and new life to this facility and the strategy has worked. To see thousands of people, making good-wages, working out there every day – it’s not only a huge boom to our economy, but also a big victory for working men and women of our city."
"WellPoint’s arrival caps off years of hard work by the city and the airport authority to bring new jobs and investment to the once-vacant IMC," Airport Authority President Lacy Johnson. "We’ll move forward with our diligent work to make sure good-paying jobs and investment continue at the IMC."
United’s bankruptcy. The IMC -- which houses 12 hangars, office space, storage and workshop space -- was originally built using state and city incentives and occupied by United in 1994. The Airport Authority took possession in 2003 after United declared bankruptcy.
Since then, the city and the airport authority have aggressively recruited tenants to fill the facility.
New tenants. The first major deal came in June 2004 when Peterson, Gov. Joe Kernan and the airport authority secured a 10-year lease with AAR Aircraft Services, a leading supplier of products and services to the worldwide aviation/aerospace industry. Since then, AAR already has expanded at the IMC and exceeded job growth expectations, hiring more than 700 people.
Other major IMC tenants landed by city and airport authority efforts, which account for more than 300 additional jobs, include:
Chautauqua Airlines – Signed in March 2005 to lease three airline hangars and employ 245 people.
Indianapolis Diversified Machining, Inc. – Currently employs approximately 70 people after signing a lease in November 2004.
Indianapolis Maintenance Facility Timeline. Below is a detailed timeline of major events at the IMC:
- March 1994: State, city and United officials dedicate maintenance center March 1994.
- January 2000: Mayor Peterson takes office.
- December 2002: United Airlines files for bankruptcy.
- December 2002: City begins talks with United, launches aggressive steps to keep IMC open and save jobs.
City asks the Indianapolis Private Industry Council, the workforce development agency for Marion County, to be ready to assist employees with potential employment needs through the Airline Industry "Re-careerment" Project .
- April 2003: United Airlines begins laying-off workers and vacating the IMC.
- May 2003: United officially announces closure of maintenance center.
Airport Authority takes possession of maintenance facility.
- January 2003: Mayor creates task force to identify tenants to occupy maintenance facility.
- June 2004: Mayor and Airport Authority secure a 10-year lease with AAR Aircraft Services, creating more than 700 jobs at the vacant IMC.
- November 2004: Officials sign lease with Indianapolis Diversified Machining, Inc., creating approximately 70 jobs.
- February 2005: AAR activates additional bays, expands to add 200 more jobs.
- March 2005: Chautauqua Airlines lands at IMC, signing a lease for three airline hangars and creating 245 jobs.
- January 2006: Schenker Logistics signs lease for warehouse launching new European cargo routes for pharmaceutical transport.
- December 2006: As part of its expansion of its specialty pharmacy business, WellPoint inks a landmark deal to lease 120,000 square feet and create 900 jobs at the IMC, completing the turnaround of the once-vacant maintenance center.
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