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From the Thursday, May 8, 2008 edition

‘Furture for this area’ is airport

Monroe County, which missed the boat on getting suppliers during the state’s automotive boom, has another opportunity with the forthcoming aviation industry boom in the region.

Wiley Blankenship, president and chief executive officer of Coastal Gateway Regional Industrial Development Authority, believes the county’s best chance is by marketing the county’s airport.

In an article that appeared on Page 1 of last week’s Journal, Blankenship and Neal Wade, director of the Alabama Development Office (ADO), agreed that the airport is a diamond among rural airports in the state. Both men agreed that a focus should be placed on developing the airport.

Blankenship took it a step further last week when he asked the Monroe County and the City of Monroeville industrial development boards to work together to purchase 170 acres that adjoin the airport. Presently, the county has an option on 115 acres that Blankenship said will expire in about six months.

“I’ve been going to aviation shows trying to promote the airports in our region,” Blankenship said in an interview Tuesday morning. “Because I feel that is truly going to be the future for this area. If you want to build this community up with sustainable jobs, where the kids come back home to work, this is your future.”

Blankenship said while four-laning U.S. Highway 84 should also remain a top priority, a four-laned highway isn’t necessary to land an aviation industry.

“In an aviation maintenance overhaul and repair industry, the planes are flown in and they’re flown out,” he said.

“Timing is crucial. We have the EADS tanker project (coming to Mobile) and they’re suppliers are going to be looking. I believe that we’ve already been shopped by a couple of aviation industries because the questions they asked were airport questions. This activity should increase within the next six to eight months.”

Blankenship said he suggested the city and county IDB boards work together to purchase the airport property and possibly make a few improvements to the airport. He said he also recommended the city and county create an Airport Authority consisting of county and city representatives.

“I told them (IDBs) you have a window of opportunity and that window is only going to be open so long,” he said. “Everything that’s happening in Mobile is only going to happen for so long and the people who are prepared are going to be the winners.”

Blankenship noted that the aviation industry, excluding the airlines, is not in an economic slump at this time.

“Some companies have hundreds of orders for airplanes that haven’t been built yet,” he added.

Blankenship noted that the county should also consider placing a 12,000- to 15,000-square-foot spec building on the 32 acres at the airport that the county already owns.

“A prime example is Andalusia’s airport,” he said. “Seven years ago there was nothing out there and now they have several aviation industries, and their airport was not as nice as Monroe County’s at that time.”

He said he was taking the city and county IDB reps and city and county officials on a tour of the Andalusia airport yesterday (Wednesday).

Blankenship added that aviation industry jobs typically have a pay scale of $25 to $35 per hour.

“You have to go as far north as the Shoals, as far south as Mobile, as far west as Mississippi and as far east as Dothan to find an airport with a runway as long as Monroe County’s,” he said.

“I told the city and county (industrial) boards that they have an opportunity to sit with their grandkids on the porch and tell them we did that, we brought you you’re future.”

He added that Clarke County has committed to build a regional airport with a 6,500-foot runway with 300 adjoining acres.

He said Brewton is making plans to develop their airport and he is encouraging Atmore to expand its airport.

In addition to his comments about the airport, Blankenship said B.C. Hornady and Bob Sawyer are to be commended for what they’ve done to renovate the former Arvin Building in Monroeville.

The building, which is now referred to as the Hornady-Sawyer Building, is 200,000 square feet and is located on 17 acres.

“You should feel fortunate to have someone in the county like these men, who are willing to make this kind of investment in the community,” he said.