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GREENSBORO — Honda Aircraft Co. will hold a press conference Monday afternoon at Piedmont Triad International Airport to announce its long-awaited expansion plans, a local official said Friday.

The details of the announcement could not be determined, but Melvin “Skip” Alston, chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, said he’s hoping for the best.

“I’m very optimistic,” Alston said. “They wouldn’t be calling a press conference if it wasn’t good news.”

Another elected official said Friday that he also had been invited to the press conference but declined to discuss the details.

Dan Lynch, president of the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance, declined to comment.

Efforts late Friday to reach Henry Isaacson, chairman of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority, were unsuccessful.

Honda officials are attending a major aviation conference in Las Vegas and have scheduled a press briefing there for 2 p.m.
Monday. That would be 5 p.m. in Greensboro, the time Alston said the local press conference will be held.

The connection between the two events, if any, could not be determined.

“I can’t tell you anything,” said Honda spokesman David Lee. “I have no comment. We are preparing for our press briefing out here.”

Last week, Lee said an expansion announcement would come “soon” but refused to elaborate.

Honda announced in July that it was considering PTI for a three-part, $80 million expansion that could generate up to 419 jobs over five years.

The company plans to begin production of its $4.5 million HondaJet at its headquarters at PTI next year.

To land the expansion project, local economic development officials asked for $8.1 million for infrastructure improvements at the airport. Specifically, the money would pay for site preparation and a taxiway extension to two new buildings the company wants to build north of its current campus.

So far, more than half of the incentive package has been found. And once Honda makes its announcement, more incentive money could be added to the pot.

“I think we are getting close to the finish line,” Isaacson said in an interview earlier Friday. “My hope is that Honda will announce their decision soon. My further hope is that ... PTI will be the recipient of these expanded facilities.”

So far, Lynch said Friday, the search for incentive money has produced at least $5.5 million.

“We are investigating every option — local and state — that could be available for a project of this size and scope,” Lynch said.  “... I told you we were going to look high and low.”

Lynch said Friday that the major chunk of the money — $4 million — will come from the aviation division of the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The funds can be used for commercial airport improvements.

In August, the Golden Leaf Foundation in Rocky Mount announced that it would commit $1 million to the project.

And on Thursday, the Guilford County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution asking the state to provide an additional $500,000 for the project.

That money also would come from Department of Transportation funds but would be channeled through the state’s legislative leadership.

“It’s a different source of funds,” Lynch said. “It’s discretionary funds that the president pro tem of the Senate and the speaker of the House have access to.”

In addition to that money, Lynch said three other requests for incentives remain outstanding. They include a request from the One North Carolina Fund, which helps the governor’s office recruit and expand quality jobs.

Lynch would not identify the other two requests or their amounts.

He said the $5.5 million does not include nearly $1.3 million in incentives approved last summer by the Greensboro City Council and Guilford County commissioners.

Lynch said Honda would like to use that money to pay airport leases.

In addition, Duke Energy has promised a $246,000 grant that would go to GTCC to train Honda workers.

“I think we have our very best offer on the table,” Lynch said. “Hopefully, (Honda) will come to the conclusion that Greensboro is the best location for them to expand. Hopefully, we will have that answer shortly.”

Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or don.patterson@news-record.com