SANDPOINT — After a Wednesday tour of its vast facilities, Quest Aircraft can count Rep. Walt Minnick as a fan.

Led by CEO Paul Schaller, Minnick, D-Idaho, spent an hour touring the airplane manufacturer and meeting company test pilots.

Schaller led Minnick through the various stages of building Quest’s crown jewel, the Kodiak. A turbine-powered single-engine plane, the Kodiak was originally designed strictly for humanitarian missions, but has since been certified for parachute jumping.

Minnick cited Quest’s leading-edge design techniques and innovative manufacturing practices as reasons for his visit.

“There aren’t too many things where the best in the world happens to be in Idaho’s first congressional district, so I wanted to come here and take a look,” he said.

Minnick was also quick to praise Sandpoint for fostering an entrepreneurial spirit that can produce companies like Quest.

“Sandpoint, because it is such an attractive place, draws a disproportionate share of really smart, ambitious people,” he said.

While he said he is confident the area will continue to develop world-renowned businesses and products, Minnick added that without strengthening education, Sandpoint will not be able to reach its full potential.

He said growth in the area will not continue indefinitely until education is improved.

“What we need now is a good university,” Minnick added.