“I am elated to see activity on Craig’s flight line,” Vardaman said. “We are proud to play our role in landing this business at Craig.”

Greg Canfield, Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce, said his team is evaluating the City Jet/Turbine Worx project as the first to possibly qualify as an underrepresented business under a new incentives package signed into law by Governor Kay Ivey days ago.

“Craig Field has a rich history in aviation, having played a major role in the training of the nation’s military aviators for decades, and the site has significant growth potential,” Secretary Canfield said. “We’re committed to exploring ways we can help Selma and Dallas County realize that potential and generate additional activity at Craig Field.”

Craig Executive Director Corrigan welcomed the company’s plans.

“City Jet and Turbine Worx is the first flying and maintenance/repair operation to select Craig Airport in several years,” he said. “This continues our efforts to create opportunities for more good things at Craig Field.”

At today’s event, company President Ron Mays expressed excitement about bringing the company to Dallas County and making a difference in the community, according to the Selma Times-Journal.

“I believe that’s the most important thing that any company that comes to a city can do,” Mays said.

Craig Industrial Complex offers 720 acres for industrial development at a site located 45 minutes west of Montgomery. It features a general-purpose airport with an 8,000-foot runway, new hangars and on-site rail.

The site was home to Craig Air Force Base, a key pilot training facility during World War II and in the years before its closing in 1977.