Contacts: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
Project to Create 800 Jobs For Hardworking Wisconsin Families
MILWAUKEE – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Republic Airways will establish a major airline hub in Milwaukee County, retaining 800 jobs and creating up to 800 more for hardworking Wisconsin families. The job functions include flight crews, heavy aircraft maintenance and technical support, and reservations call center.
“This is great news for Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin. I am pleased that we could successfully work with Republic Airways and retain the airline hub in Milwaukee, continuing a strong tradition in Milwaukee County,” Governor Doyle said. “We worked hard in our last budget to move Wisconsin forward towards a strong recovery that continues our commitment to Wisconsin businesses and will create jobs and lead to future growth. Today’s announcement would have not been possible without those efforts.”
“These investments reaffirm the commitment we’ve made to the local Milwaukee community since we welcomed Midwest Airlines to the Republic Airways family, and I would like to thank Governor Doyle and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for making Milwaukee such a great place to do business,” said Bryan Bedford, chairman, president and CEO of Republic Airways.
Governor Doyle was able to assist the company through the use of the Department of Commerce’s EZ-10 program, which was expanded in the last budget to include retention and consolidation projects. The Governor thanked the state Legislature for maintaining and expanding the tax credits, which are a powerful tool to recruit and retain businesses in the state.
Republic Airways purchased Midwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines, which is headquartered in Denver. The company will consolidate operations and maintenance functions in Milwaukee. Commerce’s EZ-10 Program creates a 12-year Enterprise Zone for the company. The company can earn $27 million in income and payroll tax credits by meeting these job and investment goals.
Republic Airways Holdings, Inc. is an aviation holding corporation based in Indianapolis, IN, which owns six airlines operating in the United States: Chautauqua Airlines, Midwest Airlines, Republic Airlines, Shuttle America, Frontier Airlines, and Lynx Aviation.
For more information on Department of Commerce programs and services, visit commerce.wi.gov .
