Bangor airport, C&L to benefit from federal grant

File Photo/Jason P. Smith Chris Kilgour, CEO of C&L Air Services, in his company's 40,000-square-foot Bangor aviation facility in January 2012.

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A federal development authority awarded the Bangor International Airport a $579,000 grant to make improvements to a hangar that will house a new painting operation for C&L Aerospace, an expansion expected to add over 50 workers over the next year to the nearly 100-employee firm.

The U.S. Economic Development Administration announced the award Monday. It's part of a $5 million financial package for the aerospace company that includes private funding and city matching funds.

Chris Kilgour, C&L's CEO, told Mainebiz last month that the new paint shop will make its repair and maintenance operation a "one-stop shop" for its airline clients. Kilgour said the market for combined maintenance and painting is growing, as are the country's major airlines. He cited the pending merger of US Airways and American Airlines as an example. That merger was approved by US Airways shareholders yesterday, according to USA Today.

"You look at what's happening with US Airways and American and you've got around 1,200 planes that will have to be painted," Kilgour said. "Then you've got regional airlines like Pinnacle... there's a huge amount of work out there."

Kilgour said the company is expanding other lines of business as well, inking a deal with Pinnacle to broker plane and parts sales last November. The company sold two of Pinnacle's Saab aircraft in April.

Kilgour said the company has added sales staff in advance of the expansion and he expects to double the firm's business in the next two years.

As part of the expansion, the company also plans to construct a 14,000-square-foot office building connecting a pair of its leased hangars, according to the Bangor Daily News.