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Blunt's away for Bombardier
The gov appears to prefer Canada to Belgium
The gov appears to prefer Canada to Belgium
Missouri’s Montreal-bound governor looks to convince a Canadian company of the benefits of “doing business” in the Show-Me State.
The pro-international-business effort comes one day after Matt Blunt chastised a bid from a Belgian company to purchase Anheuser-Busch.
Mr. Blunt on Thursday traveled to Montreal to plug an economic incentives package the Legislature wrapped this spring so Bombardier would build a $400 million C Series aircraft assembly plant in Kansas City, according to a morning news release.
Rep. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, and Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, handled the successful legislation, HB 2393, that now offers Bombardier up to $240 million in tax credits over a period of eight years, beginning in 2013. Those credits will be tied to the company’s payroll. The proposal caps any of the state’s potential negative cash flow to $155 million.
In return, the company would have to construct the facility on green space near the Kansas City International Airport, yield to a repayment mechanism and employ 2,100 workers at a wage above the county average. The average wage at Bombardier is expected to be $63,000 a year.
The governor, along with officials from Kansas City and the Department of Economic Development, are making the trip to Montreal today to “meet with Bombardier officials to emphasize the new law and benefits of the proposed location,” the release stated.
“Missouri has a talented and dedicated workforce and over the last three and a half years we have created a business climate that is attracting new jobs and employers who recognize that Missouri is open for business,” Mr. Blunt said.
Funny. He didn’t want Missouri open for business on Wednesday when InBev SA put out an unsolicited $46 billion bid for Anheuser-Busch, which brews the beverage that legislators considered dubbing Missouri’s official state beer this session — Budweiser. InBev is mostly known for Beck’s and Stella Artois.
“Anheuser-Busch is a great Missouri company, a great employer, a great corporate citizen and the maker of great products that are enjoyed in Missouri and around the world,” Mr. Blunt said in a Wednesday afternoon release from his office. “I am strongly opposed to the sale of Anheuser-Busch and today’s offer to purchase the company is deeply troubling to me. I have said that while I am supportive of action to the prevent the sale there is not immediate tool available at the state level to block it.”
He directed Economic Development officials to explore any options available to the state to stop the sale.
Despite any efforts today, the Bombardier deal is out of Mr. Blunt’s hands, too.
The company isn’t expected to announce a decision until later this summer at an English air show.
Canadian politicians might find something in common with Mr. Blunt — they also are courting the company to keep operations in its home country.
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I don't see how the two are related at all. One international corporation was seeking to purchase a company that ALREADY does business in Missouri. Another international corporation is being courted to start a plant in Missouri. Now if the governor were encouraging Bombardier to purchase Boeing, that would be a different story. Oh wait. St. Louis already lost Boeing.
Posted by jrh402s on June 13, 2008 at 10:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)I was surprised to see Governor Blunt referred to as "Mr. Blunt" in this article. Not to be too terse, but the preferred, and correct, title is "Governor" not mister. This will remain so even after his term has ended.
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