ANDALUSIA — A recent expansion at Covington County’s South Alabama Regional Airport illustrates rural Alabama’s key contributions to the state’s growing aerospace/aviation industry — and reflects a primary economic development focus for the region.
A major Australian helicopter firm, McDermott Aviation, and its longtime U.S.-based business partner, Isolair Inc., announced plans to open at the Andalusia airport last fall and have been busy setting up operations.
So far, the companies have brought 26 new jobs to the area and are planning to add more, said Rick Clifton, president and CEO of the Covington County Economic Development Commission.
“McDermott Aviation and Isolair locating at our MRO hangar is a big boost for our airport and our community,” said Jed Blackwell, executive director of the airport. “The jobs they offer will create opportunities for workers throughout our region.”
Aerospace and aviation represent a target sector for the economic development efforts of Southeast Gas, an Andalusia-based utility represented at this week’s Paris Air Show, the industry’s most important business event in 2023.
“Aerospace has played an important role in the economic vitality of Southeast Alabama since the Wright Brothers opened the first civilian flight school in Montgomery in 1910,” President and CEO Greg Henderson said. “Since then, we have seen the industry transform the region through the almost immeasurable impacts from Army Aviation at Fort Novosel and the Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base.
“The Paris Air Show is an incredible opportunity for Southeast Gas to partner with the State of Alabama in order to build upon the already impressive momentum we have in the aerospace industry,” he added.
GROWTH PLANS
McDermott, founded more than 40 years ago as an aerial application specialist, has grown into Australia’s largest privately-owned helicopter company and also operates the country’s largest fleet of privately-owned helicopters.
Today, the firm is an industry leader in aerial firefighting, lifting/crane operations, mosquito and fire ant control application, search and rescue operations and VIP charter and freight.
Covington County is fulfilling McDermott’s need for a North American operations center, following its acquisition of 12 Bell 214 ST helicopters. The company sends helicopters to countries around the world for various services.
Isolair, which moved its operations from Oregon to Covington County, is a manufacturer of helicopter systems used in firefighting as well as the agriculture and forestry industries. Products include sprayers, tanks, seeders, torches, buckets and more.
“One of the helicopters they worked on locally is on its way to Greece, where they are preparing for the fire season,” Clifton said. “They stripped it down, refurbished it, repainted and tested it. Their plan is to take these helicopters from here to wherever they are needed.”
Landing a job with the companies could lead to travel opportunities to work on the helicopters in Greece, South America, New Zealand, Australia and other markets where they are in use, Clifton said.
He said the project has also led to the purchase of several houses in Covington County for company officials and for pilots from Australia who will visit to train at the company’s new site.
TARGET INDUSTRY
Clifton works with other area recruiters to promote the Wiregrass region to aerospace prospects and others through the 11-county consortium, Grow Southeast Alabama, as well as The Aerospace Alliance, which includes representatives from Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana.
The major industry asset in the region is Fort Novosel (formerly Rucker), home to the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and the primary flight training installation for the Army’s helicopter aviators.
A recent analysis by the University of Alabama in Huntsville calculated that Fort Novosel generated an annual economic impact of $9 billion and a total 29,000 direct and indirect jobs.
With Bell Helicopter in Ozark, and Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky in Troy, the region boasts a heavy concentration of aviation-related jobs, according to Southeast Gas.
For example, the region’s existing pool of workers in flight training is over 35 times the level considered average, while the number employed in aircraft manufacturing is 17 times higher, according to Southeast Gas’ data.
Additionally, the concentration of both aircraft mechanic and avionics technician jobs is 7 times higher than average, according to the utility.
“Aerospace and aviation are key industries for Alabama’s economy, and the contributions of Southeast Alabama and other rural communities throughout the state are vital to their success,” said Brenda Tuck, Rural Development Manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce.
(Courtesy of Made in Alabama)
