By Kevin Jacobsen
March 25, 2011
Washington, D.C. (Northland’s NewsCenter) – Minnesota 8th District Congressman Chip Cravaack is urging extreme caution in the acquisition of Cirrus Aircraft by a China-based company.
In a letter Friday, the Freshmen Republican congressman told the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States about his concerns involving the transfer of the Duluth-based company to CAIGA.
He says the company is essentially owned and operated by a Chinese government-run defense contractor.
The Congressman worries the company will use technology developed by Cirrus for military defense.
“I’m very concerned with Chinese history of reverse engineering,” The Congressman told the Northland’s NewsCenter on the phone. “What they do is take our components and are able use them as dual tech for their military aircraft. We do not need to be sending our technology overseas.”
The Congressman says he’s also concerned about the future of jobs at Cirrus Aircraft.
A group of US Businessman are forming a group in hopes of making a counter offer on Cirrus.
Todd Simmons, the VP of Marketing for Cirrus Aircraft, told the Northland’s NewsCenter the letter comes as a surprise and is unwarranted. Simmons says quote “The CAIGA transaction is an investment in Duluth and our local communities.”
Source: NORTHLANDS NEWSCENTER
Date: 2011-03-25