By Kathleen Vereen Dayton, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Feb. 25--Pace Airlines of Winston-Salem, N.C. -- which will operate Hooters Air flights from Myrtle Beach International Airport beginning March 6 -- could have a new home in Myrtle Beach within 90 days.
Efforts are under way to coax Pace and its 350 employees to move its headquarters and fleet of aircraft from Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem.
Darrell Richardson, president and chief executive of Pace, said Myrtle Beach International Airport has offered the airline hangar space at attractive rates.
'It's a project that's in development at this time,' Richard son said. 'The city of Winston-Salem is trying to keep us here, which is good. They're working on some offers right now. We're on a 90-day countdown trying to decide where we're going to live.' Bob Kemp, director of Myrtle Beach International Airport, said he could not detail the offers the airport has made to Pace.
'I will confirm that we have spoken with Pace regarding our hangar facilities,' Kemp said.
'We have a series of hangars that are available. Two of the hangars have 44,000 square feet.' Hangars of that size could accommodate Pace's Boeing 737s, but could not house the airline's two Boeing 757s with out some modification, Kemp said.
Other perks for Pace could include tax incentives and relocation incentives, which are under the control of the state's Department of Revenue.
'I would be very hopeful that the state and the community would be able to come together to do everything possible to attract any portion of the Hooters organization,' said Joe Woodle, president of Partners Economic Development Corp, which works to lure new businesses to Horry County.
'In three years, I wouldn't be surprised to see Hooters as one of the largest carriers coming into Myrtle Beach.' Myrtle Beach entrepreneur Robert H. Brooks, owner and chairman of the Hooters restaurant chain, bought Pace in December to bring additional air service to Myrtle Beach while marketing the Hooters' logo on two of carrier's Boeing 737 aircraft.
The planes have been painted in Hooters' trademark orange-and-white, with orange owls on their tails. Hooters waitresses will assist traditional flight attendants on flights, which are scheduled between Atlanta and Myrtle Beach beginning March 6 and through Atlanta to Newark, N.J., beginning March 20. Direct flights to Newark, N.J., from Myrtle Beach are scheduled beginning April 3.
Pace has its maintenance facilities and 15 other aircraft in Winston-Salem, where it operates charter flights for sports teams, tour operators and corporate shuttles.
The airline anticipates adding at least 100 employees to its maintenance operations as Pace and Hooters Air continue to grow.
Pace Airlines was a division of Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation before it was purchased by Brooks. The airline traces its roots to Piedmont Aviation, which was formed in 1940 and merged with US Airways in 1989.
'For obvious reasons, we want to keep Pace here at the airport,' said Ed Cox, director of Smith Reynolds Airport.
'They've been a part of the tradition of the airport. I don't know if you'd call them a major presence, but they sure would be missed if we lost them.' Richardson said Pace's objective has been to stay in Winston-Salem, an area rich in surplus airline maintenance workers, pilots and flight attendants.
'That makes it attractive, although it will not be the final issue,' Richardson said. 'We want to do whatever is right for our employees and best for the company.' Myrtle Beach's offerings could prove a sweet deal for Pace, which subleases its hangars at Smith Reynolds.
Should the primary leaseholders, which include US Airways, want their space back at the Winston-Salem airport, Pace could be forced to move in 30 days.
'We're looking for a permanent home and we're going to look at the best offer we can get,' Richardson said.
'Whoever steps up to the plate, that's where we'll end up going.'
INFO BOX: About Pace Airlines
--Headquarters: Winston-Salem, N.C.
--Employees: 350
--Fleet: 15 Boeing 737 aircraft and two Boeing 757 aircraft
--History: Formerly a division of Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation, which traces its history to 1940.
--Market: A charter service specializing in sports teams, tour operators and corporate shuttles. Operates Hooters Air, which debuts March 6 with flights between Myrtle Beach and Atlanta.
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(c) 2003, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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