Document text
Valley's largest air firms combine Jet Center buys Pacific Flights Inc. By DAVID PRESZLER Jet Center has purchased Pacific Flights, combining the Rogue Valley's two largest air charter companies. Jet Center, owned by Monte and Danny George, bought its largest competitor from Croman Corp., the companies confirmed Monday. The sale closed June 1; both companies declined to release financial terms of the deal. "We're excited about this," said Monte George. "It's worked out to be a good opportunity for both of us." Jet Center didn't purchase any of Pacific Flights' four planes but is using the company's Learjet in its operations on a lease basis. The addition of the jet gives Jet Center access to five planes, adding to its turboprop, its Cessna twin-engine and two single-engine planes. The combined company, which will continue using both the Jet Center and Pacific Flights names, employs 26 people. Croman Corp. will retain all four of Pacific Flights' planes for use in its timber business, according to company president Bud Kaufman. Kaufman said the sale of Pacific Flights will allow Croman to focus solely on its timber operations and the price Jet Center offered was too good to pass up. "We got a price we couldn't refuse," he said, declining to reveal what it was. "It was an exceptional price." Croman Corp. founded Pacific Flights in 1978. The George brothers started Jet Center two years later in Ashland and first expanded into the Medford airport in 1982. By 1987, all of the Jet Center's operations were in Medford. Monte George said the purchase will allow his company to increase the frequency of its passenger and cargo flights as well as its air ambulance service. Another key component of the deal from Jet Center's point of view is the acquisition of Pacific Flights' large maintenance building. The combination of the large building with Jet Center's smaller one will allow the company's aircraft repair business to grow, George said. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA