Attracting Aviation Businesses -- How?

I've generally found that when a public utility such as an airport is
criticized as unprofitable, the public officials usually have another
use in mind for that land. I hate to be pessimistic, but most times
its a foregone conclusion that the airport is a goner.

(AJ) writes:

I've generally found that when a public utility such as an airport
is criticized as unprofitable, the public officials usually have
another use in mind for that land. I hate to be pessimistic, but
most times its a foregone conclusion that the airport is a goner.

That's why I suggested getting a coalition of business owners together
to take control of the airport now, before any ideas like that are
fully-formed -- offer the city $100 for a 99-year least and promise to
handle future operating costs (but not the existing debt, of course).
If it makes life easier, call it an "airport industrial park".


All the best,


David

--
David Megginson, , http://www.megginson.com/

"Jim Weir" wrote in message ...

When we moved to Nevada County, it was far worse. YOU put up the building and
deed it to the county and rent it back for double the going rate PLUS an annual
gross sales fee that you had to negotiate from year to year. Again, the
business park around the airport had half the rent and no fees.

This is how a brand new airport operates here. And they wonder why nobody
wants to even submit a proposal for a maintenance shop or FBO there. Last
I heard they finally got a fuel truck and a trailer for an office.

Unfortunately, many small governments have gotten _Washingtonitis_.
The only thing that they are looking for is money in their pockets and
in their control. To them, money in the pockets of the citizens is not
a good thing.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html


Biggest attraction/repulsion will be the taxation of a local business on
the airport.
Is there an economic advantage/disadvantage to being an airport based
business?
How does your city tax airport based businesses?
Is there a gross receipts tax placed on any business operating on the
airport?
What are rents like?
Is there a difference in how much rent a business is charged across the
street from the airport?
Is there difference in how much a business is taxed if they are located
across the street from the airport?
Are rents calculated on square footage of ramp space? Hangar space?
Office space? Combinations?
How much are additional state/local (county/city) taxes?
What are potential businesses looking for to locate at your facility?
What are the advantages of operating at IOW?
If I fly my airplane in for services, how do I get home if I leave it
there?
What is the labor market like? Union/non-union? Skilled/un-skilled?
How trainable are the graduates of the local secondary schools?
Access to materials?
If the local controlling body doesn't make the facility attractive to
business, it won't be.
These are some of the questions I have heard brought up at various
meetings I have attended.

Why would they close the airport? Looking at AirNav, it's the only viable
non-private airport in Iowa City. Unless they were to build another
airport, they would be commiting economic suicide to close a major route of
commerce. It shouldn't be a matter of making the airport itself profitable,
but rather a matter of how much commerce the airport provides to the city.
How do people commute, how do goods and services flow into and out of the
city? What kinds of business can they hope to retain and attract in the
future, etc. etc.

Not sure how far Cedar Rapids is from Iowa City though...

I'd be glad to give you business on my way up to Minnesota/Wisconsin from
Texas one of these days though!

Jason Kennemer

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:NRGTa.130627$N7.18387@sccrnsc03...
Many of you know that our local newspaper has been on the war-path to
close
our local airport. Oh, they don't say it *that* way -- they couch it in
terms of "profitability" and "taxpayer's subsidies" -- but that's what
they
really mean. No one -- from the Mayor on down to the citizenry --
seriously
believes that the airport (a GA airport all the way) could be made
"profitable".

But what if we could close the gap a bit? Our inn has come a long ways in
the first 11 months we've been open, and we're generating a pretty steady
stream of fly-in visitors from all over the country -- which has helped --
but what if we could make Iowa City a "one-stop shopping center" for you
airplane owners?

What if you could come here and visit a first-class avionics shop, along
the
lines of a "Pacific Coast Avionics"? And what if you could get your
interior reupholstered here, too? And how about a paint shop, while
we're
dreaming?

Currently Iowa has successful versions of all these services, but they are
scattered all over the map. We've got a paint shop in little Maquoketa,
and
an aircraft upholstery shop in Clinton, and an avionics place in Waterloo.

Getting anything done is a royal pain in the butt. Wouldn't it be
cool --
and beneficial to ALL -- if we could consolidate them all here in Iowa
City?

A pilot (such as yourself) could come visit for a few days, enjoy a Big
Ten
basketball/football/wrestling/baseball (whatever!) game, take in a play or
performance, enjoy the college town ambiance, stay at our aviation themed
inn -- all while having your new leather interior installed! Or while
having that GNS-430 put in the panel.

I personally think this would be great for ALL the businesses (sort of the
same theory as putting all the car dealers on the same stretch of road in
a
city), and would generate a self-sustaining perpetual motion machine of
aviation business in Iowa City -- thus saving the airport, and (of course)
enhancing our business.

But how? How the heck do you attract business like this to your airport?
Any ideas?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Unfortunately, most businesses will go where the rent is cheap.


"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:NRGTa.130627$N7.18387@sccrnsc03...
Many of you know that our local newspaper has been on the war-path to
close
our local airport. Oh, they don't say it *that* way -- they couch it in
terms of "profitability" and "taxpayer's subsidies" -- but that's what
they
really mean. No one -- from the Mayor on down to the citizenry --
seriously
believes that the airport (a GA airport all the way) could be made
"profitable".

But what if we could close the gap a bit? Our inn has come a long ways in
the first 11 months we've been open, and we're generating a pretty steady
stream of fly-in visitors from all over the country -- which has helped --
but what if we could make Iowa City a "one-stop shopping center" for you
airplane owners?

What if you could come here and visit a first-class avionics shop, along
the
lines of a "Pacific Coast Avionics"? And what if you could get your
interior reupholstered here, too? And how about a paint shop, while
we're
dreaming?

Currently Iowa has successful versions of all these services, but they are
scattered all over the map. We've got a paint shop in little Maquoketa,
and
an aircraft upholstery shop in Clinton, and an avionics place in Waterloo.
Getting anything done is a royal pain in the butt. Wouldn't it be
cool --
and beneficial to ALL -- if we could consolidate them all here in Iowa
City?

A pilot (such as yourself) could come visit for a few days, enjoy a Big
Ten
basketball/football/wrestling/baseball (whatever!) game, take in a play or
performance, enjoy the college town ambiance, stay at our aviation themed
inn -- all while having your new leather interior installed! Or while
having that GNS-430 put in the panel.

I personally think this would be great for ALL the businesses (sort of the
same theory as putting all the car dealers on the same stretch of road in
a
city), and would generate a self-sustaining perpetual motion machine of
aviation business in Iowa City -- thus saving the airport, and (of course)
enhancing our business.

But how? How the heck do you attract business like this to your airport?
Any ideas?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"