LANSING—Construction Helicopters Inc., which does business as CHI Aviation, has received a $400,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant to support a $4.55 million expansion of its operations in Livingston County’s Howell Township, the Michigan Economic Development Corp. announced.
The project is expected to create 60 new jobs over a three-year period with wages near $45 per hour. Michigan was chosen over an alternative site in Nevada.
CHI was established in 1980 and is a veteran-owned business. It provides services to the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Forest Service and companies involved in the construction and utility industries. In addition, CHI Aviation has three affiliate organizations under common ownership, including a large sister company headquartered in California that is planning to relocate to Nevada.
The expansion involves the purchase of an existing 27,000-square-foot building in Howell Township.
In addition to MSF support, Ann Arbor Spark has offered marketing assistance and help with finding candidates for the new positions. The company employs 49 people at the existing Michigan facility. For information on careers with CHI Aviation, visit here.
For more information on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org.