Mike Catherwood started the company in 1998 with his partner John Yegerlehner and chose to specialize in Learjets, a type of private jet created in the 1950s.
Catherwood said since then, the company has grown about 30 percent each year. Those profits don’t just help the company, it helps the community.
“Every jet we’ve worked on comes from some place other than Springfield,” Catherwood said.
Not only do people fly into Springfield, they will pay for Spectra Jet crews to travel to other states to work on planes.
“What that means is all that money comes from all over the (United States) to come to Springfield,” Catherwood said. “Crews stay overnight and stay in hotels and restaurants. All we do is dump tons of money here.”
Catherwood showed the Springfield News-Sun plans for a nearly 37,000-square-foot expansion to the facility, located at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport. The new plan will allow for the company to expand the range of jets they work on, work on larger planes and accommodate a possible upcoming contract.
And when the expansion happens, the company will be able to increase staff from 12 to 24 people.
Catherwood declined to disclose the details of the contract, but said they would find out in late summer.
Even without the contract, the company’s gradual growth will allow them to expand.
The expansion “will be a ripple in several areas,” Clark County Commissioner John Detrick said. “There will be an increase in employment and it will stabilize us in an industry we need to continue to grow in.”
Local government has attempted to diversify Springfield’s economic base to provide more opportunities, Detrick said. Companies such as Spectra Jet strengthen aviation, while other parks such as at NextEdge Applied Research and Technology Park provide technological needs.
AirparkOhio, located near the airport, has potential for growth. Last month, local government officials confirmed that they expected up to 450 jobs to come into the park in the next several years.
“We work very closely with the city, who owns the airport, in marketing AirparkOhio for development,” said Mike McDorman, president and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. “The Air National Guard and airport help future development opportunities for that area. It’s a strong niche for our community.”
McDorman cited successes such as Bob Evans, United Fiber Glass and Spectra Jet.
The airport draws individuals, as well.
“People come in and see the Air Force museum,” Catherwood said. “Lots of people fly in just to go over there ... and folks fly in with sophisticated airplanes to come in and pick up their kids” from Wittenberg and Cedarville universities.
The airport also can be used as a marketing tool for economic development.
“We’re able to fly company execs into the region,” McDorman said. “They fly in and out easily without having to go through all the security. The airport is used frequently by companies, not only in Springfield, but throughout the region for company business.”
And Springfield, which Catherwood called a “sleepy bird,” is becoming more of a destination for those who fly for pleasure.
“Springfield for us has always been a diamond in the rough,” he said. “That’s why we decided to come here.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0371 or emason@coxohio.com.
About the Author