ROME, N.Y. — Premier Aviation Overhaul Center in Rome will close in August, the company said.
In letters to employees and officials, Premier said the shutdown was due to “a sustained lower revenue stream that cannot sustain the contractual obligations of the leased property and the utility costs at the business premises, and the continued failing health of the CEO.”
The move is expected to leave more than 100 workers without jobs.
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Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente had the following reaction to the news in a statement. “It’s disheartening to hear that Premier Aviation is closing its Rome maintenance facility and that its employees will lose their jobs as a result,” he said. “Oneida County will do anything it can to help assist with this situation.”
Premier Aviation has facilities at Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome as well as in Canada.
The Rome site has nearly 380,000 square feet of space in hangars and other buildings, plus a 50,000 square-foot paint hangar, the company said.
Letters to employees notifying them they would be losing their jobs did not mention the opportunity to work elsewhere for Premier. However, the letters stated that “employees may possibly receive offers of employment with competitors. We will provide you with further information as it becomes available.”
Premier Aviation purchased the assets of Empire Aero Center in 2013, taking over space that company had occupied. Founded in 2002, Premier’s business is providing aircraft-maintenance services including inspections, maintenance, modifications, and refinishing.
Premier has been a major employer of graduates from Mohawk Valley Community College’s Airframe and Powerplant Technology program. Program director Walter Constantini told BJNN earlier this year that some 60 percent of graduates of the MVCC program go to work for Premier.
Constantini also said that employment prospects were strong in the field, as retirements among current workers and industry growth are expected to create more than 100,000 job openings in aircraft maintenance and overhauling in the next two decades in the U.S. and some 700,000 openings globally.
Contact McChesney at cmcchesney@cnybj.com
