Garmin AT to Add at Least 65 Jobs in Salem, Ore.
GPS device maker Garmin AT plans to add at least 65 new software and engineering positions in Salem, Ore., as part of a $14 million expansion there. The company, which designs and builds aircraft navigation, will build a 66,000-square-foot facility near its existing property at the Salem airport to consolidate and expand its staff. The new building will provide room for up to 150 additional engineers and 80 new call center positions. The facility is expected to open in January 2015. A $500,000 loan from the state will be forgiven if Garmin creates at least 65 jobs at 150 percent of the statewide average wage and maintains the jobs for at least two years. The Marion County average annual wage is $37,373, so the company has been saying the new jobs will pay an average of $56,059. The city also approved enterprise zone property tax breaks for the project. Garmin set up the wholly-owned subsidiary Garmin AT in Salem after it purchased UPS Aviation Technologies, a maker of aircraft navigation systems, in 2003.