Sandpoint company to add 24 jobs

SANDPOINT — After receiving a state tax credit, local company Timberline Helicopters will create 24 new jobs and invest $13 million in Sandpoint. 

The city of Sandpoint announced the expansion in a Tuesday press release; Mayor Jeremy Grimm expressed excitement for the planned improvements. 

“This expansion is a clear example of the kind of economic development we need — one that supports our workforce with stable, well-paying opportunities and strengthens our regional economy for years to come,” Grimm said. 

The Idaho Department of Commerce offers awards to Idaho companies considering expanding through the Tax Reimbursement Incentive. As a successful candidate, Timberline Helicopters will receive an 18% reduction in income, sales and payroll taxes for nine years in exchange for investing in Sandpoint and creating jobs that pay above the median wage in Bonner County. 

Grimm, who is also the Idaho Department of Commerce Economic Advisory Council’s vice chairman, said the agreement with Timberline Helicopters is the third instance of a Sandpoint-area company participating in the program since its creation in 2014. 

Timberline Helicopters began in 2004 as an aerial logging company operating a single aircraft. Since, it has grown to operate eight helicopters that perform heavy-lifting operations including ski lift construction and aerial firefighting. 

According to the press release, 12 of the 24 new hires will be airframe and powerplant mechanics who service aircraft. $12 million of the $13 million Timberline Helicopters will invest in Sandpoint will go toward property acquisition. 

“We are thrilled to continue growing in Sandpoint,” Tyson Davis, president of Timberline Helicopters, said. “This investment will allow us to expand our capabilities, create new opportunities for skilled professionals, and contribute to the community’s economic vitality.” 

Grimm emphasized a desire to support homegrown innovators and diversify the local economy by reducing Sandpoint’s dependence on low-wage, part-time jobs tied to tourism. 

“I have children, and I want them to be able to come back and raise a family in this wonderful community with jobs that are year-round, with health insurance, retirement and time off, which are not benefits provided broadly in the tourism sector,” Grimm said. 

The expansion will fortify Sandpoint’s aerospace core, which is one of the largest local industries and collectively employs hundreds of residents.