Another Meggitt expansion could create more than 100 jobs in Danville

Published 2:10 pm Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems is seeking state incentives for yet another expansion at its Danville plant. The project could ultimately add more than 100 new jobs, but the company says it needs state tax incentives to make it happen.

In April, the British-owned company was approved for increased state tax incentives because an expansion begun in 2017 had ballooned to a $22.78 million investment creating 139 jobs.

Wednesday morning, the Danville-Boyle County Planning and Zoning Commission approved a site plan amendment for another potential expansion at the aerospace manufacturer.

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The project is identified by the Danville-Boyle County Economic Development Partnership as “Project Next,” according to EDP President Jody Lassiter.

Project Next was first identified as an economic development project on Jan. 29, 2018, according to the EDP’s quarterly “project funnel report.” It’s expected to involve an investment of more than $50 million and create more than 100 jobs, according to the report.

Lassiter provided a statement Wednesday morning, cautioning against thinking the project is a sure thing: “This site planning by Meggitt is necessary due diligence to assess the potential for an expansion project, which is conditioned upon future preliminary approval of financial incentives by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority.”

Steve Henry, facilities manager for Meggitt in Danville, speaks to the local Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday morning. (Photo by Ben Kleppinger)

Steve Henry, facilities manager for Meggitt, also told P&Z commissioners the expansion is still tentative and dependent on approval of more state tax incentives. But if it happens, it would create “south of 100” jobs initially, and “probably more than that long-term.”

The expansion would add more furnaces and production capacity on Meggitt’s almost 29 acres in the Boyle County Industrial Park, Henry said. The market for Meggitt’s products is growing and the company wants to build capacity to meet the demand, he explained. If state tax incentives are approved, a lot of that additional capacity building could be coming to Danville, he said.

“Danville has been good to us,” Henry said. “And Boyle County, and Jody (Lassiter).”

Meggitt hopes to get its incentives approved in August, which would allow it to break ground as early as September, Henry said.

The site plan P&Z approved shows a “Phase III” expansion of Meggitt’s building, which would grow the facility from 161,000 to 275,594 square feet, according to P&Z Director Steve Hunter. The plan also shows two further possible expansions — “Phase IV” and “Phase V.”

The site plan states the improvements that could be made include “expansion of the production area building on the northeast side of the site adjacent to the existing facilities, a pre-engineered metal building on the north side of the facility, a new driveway to encircle the facility, entrances into the proposed building, a new truck dock, trash compactor … roll-off dumpsters located along the northeast side of the pre-engineered metal building, a new parking lot on the southwest side of the site” and numerous improvements to grading, drainage and landscaping.

The plan shows 219 parking spaces, which well exceeds the 118 P&Z would require for an expansion this size, Hunter said.

Palmer Engineering/Meggitt
A site plan shows three existing buildings at Meggitt’s Danville location outlined in solid; a proposed expansion dependent on new state tax incentives shaded in gray; and two further potential expansions with dotted outlines.