Atlas Air Will Keep Headquarters, More Than 500 Jobs, in Purchase

In a move praised by local and county government officials, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings announced today that it will keep its corporate headquarters in Purchase, safeguarding more than 500 jobs that threatened to leave Westchester County.

The company will retain 460 current jobs on the site and announced it will create another 50 full-time positions. Operators of the world's largest fleet of 747 freighter aircrafts, AWWH was considering as many as 60 other cities at one point before deciding to stay put, according to Dan Loh, the company's director of investor relations.

"It's a very, very, close-nit organization and the ability to maintain the workforce experience that we've got, the ability of everybody in the company to stay together was very, very, important," Loh said.

In order to keep the company in Westchester, New York State's Excelsior Job Program granted the company $8.5 million in benefits. The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency also chipped in about $442,000 in sales tax exemptions; $480,000 in energy credits over the next 10 years were also added to the pot.

“When the county heard that Atlas Air Worldwide was being wooed by several other states, I immediately picked up the phone," County Executive Robert Astorino said in a released statement. "Right after that Bill Flynn (president and chief executive officer of Atlas Worldwide) and I and our senior teams were meeting face to face. I asked ‘What do you need and how can we help?’ They told us and the conversations that followed led to today’s announcement."

"Every little bit helps," said Loh. "Obviously the amount of financial assistance was far more substantial from the New York State Excelsior Job Program, but the local sales tax exemption was a very handsome amount and something we will find beneficial."

The headquarters in Purchase is located at 2000 Westchester Avenue. It houses the corporate staff offices for the company as well as a global control center that keeps track of airplanes all over the world. Atlas Air Worldwide originally moved to Purchase from outside Denver, CO, in 2000 to gain closer access to operations at nearby JFK Airport.

Loh said the company is one of only a few aviation companies in the world that has expanded over the last few years, something that could bring even more jobs to the facility down the line. The company is working on the next generation of 747 aircrafts, Loh said, and plans to expand its current fleet in the near future.

"We are looking forward to some substantial growth of our business over the next few years," Loh said.

Because of aging buildings and steadily increasing property taxes, Purchase and West Harrison's Platinum Mile—as well as other office parks throughout the county—have struggled to keep large industries within town limits, which in turn has affected tax bases.

Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh was pleased with the decision, adding that the announcement is the second piece of good news the town has heard this week—an office park on West Red Oak Lane recently announced the addition of new tenants to an office park there.

"I'm delighted to see that the office market is picking up," Walsh said. "People are realizing that Harrison is a desirable place for their corporation."

Corporations still cover a substantial amount of the town's tax base. Although commercial areas of West Harrison and Purchase along Westchester Avenue have taken a hit over the last few years, the town continues to rely heavily on property tax revenue from corporations like Mastercard, Atlas Air Worldwide and PepsiCo.

"The corporate presence in Harrison is very important," Walsh said. "It forms a substantial part of our tax base, so to keep these buildings occupied and solvent is very important to the future of the town."