CEO Talks About Why Superior Kestrel Plant Hasn’t Been Built

Alan Klapmeier Says Broken State Promises Are to Blame for The Aircraft Plant Not Being Built

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The CEO of Kestrel is blaming broken promises by the State of Wisconsin for the delay in the creation of a plant in Superior.

Meanwhile, the state is moving forward with legal action against Kentrel Aircraft.

The state says the company is in serious default on millions of dollars in loans that were supposed to be used to build a manufacturing plant in Superior. That plant was expected to break ground near the Superior airport in 2013 and bring more than 650 manufacturing jobs with it.

Now, the CEO of Kestrel’s parent company, One Aviation, is speaking out. Alan Klapmeier says the State of Wisconsin didn’t follow through with what they promised.

“The agreement was if the economic development entities did X then Kestrel would do Y,” says Klapmeier. “For them to come back and say we didn’t do what we said when they didn’t do what they said first is peculiar logic.”

Klapmeier says he still wants to build the Kestrel plant in Superior but, after years of trying to make it work, he’s not sure it will ever happen.

“Obviously we’re very disappointed with this entire project and the way it came about,” says Klapmeier. “We still tried in good faith to keep the jobs here and have this result in a successful project, obviously Superior could benefit greatly from these types of jobs. But at this point, we’d have to say we don’t know.”

According to the state, Kestrel owes the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation about $4 million, and the City of Superior another $2 million.