Switzerland-based helicopter maker Kopter selects the Lafayette Regional Airport to assemble helicopters, creating 120 jobs. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson says Kopter looked at 38 locations before picking Lafayette, which has a strong helicopter culture, because of the oil and gas industry.
“And so helicopter maintenance, and helicopter operations we have a lot of people that are involved in that so we have the basis for a strong workforce.”
Pierson says Kopter is versatile enough that they’ll assemble helicopters for a variety of uses…
“It can be outfitted for defense contractor work, it can ferry workers offshore, it can serve a great sightseeing role, and it can also be used by law enforcement.”
Pierson says Kopter plans to reach full production in Lafayette in 2025, producing about 100 helicopters every year…
“They will have more than 120 direct jobs and they will have a payroll of more than 7 million dollars. There is a lot of work to be done between now and then but we are excited to begin this important adventure with them.”
