Vector Aerospace renews lease in Covington Co., could add more jobs

COVINGTON CO., AL (WSFA) - A worldwide leader in helicopter repair and overhaul has renewed the lease to keep one of its 21 facilities, that are on six continents across the globe, in Alabama.

Vector Aerospace has signed a new 5-year lease with the South Alabama Regional Airport in Covington County. Vector employees 113 people, and if business continues to grow, officials believe they could hire another 50 people in the Andalusia area.

The company does aircraft maintenance, repairs and inspections for the military, medical ambulance companies and law enforcement.

"It's a good region that serves our biggest customers, which is Fort Rucker and the Naval Air Station in Pensacola and Naval Air Station in Widen Field. So it's geographically favorable to be in between those two locations," said Richard Pataky, the Vice President of Operations at Vector Aerospace.

"We have some great people here in Covington County. That provides great workers for them so they're able to get good workers here and be accessible to their clients down in the panhandle, which makes for Covington County to be a great place for them to locate," added Jed Blackwell, the Co-Executive Director of South Alabama Regional Airport.

Around 60 percent of Vector's employees are from Covington County, the remaining 40 percent are from surrounding counties.

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