Middle Georgia’s economy got another boost Thursday with the expansion of operations for an aircraft maintenance company that will soon mean 130 new jobs in Macon.

TIMCO Aviation Services will now take-on maintenance for the widebody Boeing 767, a plane used in some of the largest commercial fleets in the world. TIMCO already does maintenance for some smaller narrowbody planes in its facility at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

Pat Topping with the city’s Economic Development Commission says the announcement is welcome news, as the economy has been eating into the company’s workforce -- currently at 140.

“They have been higher than they are now, but with the slowdown in the airline industry, their workforce has been cut-back. So this is especially good news that they’ll be adding people, hopefully bringing some of the people back that previously worked there.”

TIMCO’s expansion follows another aerospace company -- Bombardier -- recently infusing jobs into middle Georgia.

Topping says the past six to nine months there’s been an uptick in business interest generally in middle Georgia. He calls it a pipeline full of prospects right now.

“We certainly don’t think we’ve turned the corner on this economy. But we’re really just proud to be able to see this level of activity that we’ve had.”

The middle Georgia region is trying to dig out from under the weight of double-digit unemployment.

Tags: Georgia, economy, jobs, Macon, middle Georgia, Aviation, aerospace industry, TIMCO, Pat Topping