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Arizona

Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Programs

Outline of Need:
Ten years of drought in the west have made the forested north portion of Arizona very susceptible to wild fires. Devastating fires have hit the area particularly hard over the past two years. One of the challenges has been adequate aerial fire fighting equipment in the area.

How Rural Development Helped:
Aero Flite, Inc., based in Kingman, Arizona, provides the vital link for the region in combating this natural disaster. Aero Flite received a loan in 2004 that they used to purchase a hangar and office building and some older CL-215s and DC-4s. This subsequent loan of $2 ½ million will allow the company to purchase two additional CL-215 Bombardier Air tankers to fight fires. The CL-215s are designed specifically for fighting forest fires, with the capability of swooping down and scooping up water from area lakes or dropping chemical retardant if no water supply is available. Aero Flite is the leader in aircraft firefighting and the only non-governmental owner of CL-215s in the United States. The company is performing well on its previous loan from 2004.

The Results:
This partnership not only provides protection for the rural communities in northwest Arizona, but is also expected to save 26 jobs. The wages average $40,000 to $60,000 per year for the mechanics and as much as $70,000 for pilots (considerably more than the average for the area) helping to improve the economic well-being of the community. Although the company is based in the west, they can and will travel to any location in the nation where their services are needed. Most of their revenue is generated through government contracts.