Message from the Executive Director & Chairman of the Board Even during these uncertain economic times, fiscal year 2009 (FY09) provided us with an opportunity to show that together we can overcome overwhelming odds and continue to serve the community with the highest of standards and superior customer service. FY09 proved to be a year unlike any other in the history of the Port of Huntsville. The aviation industry and the entire nation were severely impacted by the economic downturn. The impact to the Port of Huntsville was significant; however, our diversity and historically sound financial management practices enabled us to continue our mission to provide multimodal transportation services and stimulate the economic growth and development of the Tennessee Valley region. While FY09 had its challenges, the Port of Huntsville’s operating entities experienced growth and each had its own successes. Huntsville International Airport served more than 1.25 million passengers during the 2008 calendar year, the second-highest total in the airport’s history. The International Intermodal Center celebrated a record volume of 46,303 rail lifts, a 2% increase over the previous calendar year. Within the Jetplex Industrial Park, more than 675,000 square feet of building space was started or completed during FY09. The Port of Huntsville forged ahead with its $65 million, fiveyear capital improvement project, which included the opening of the parking deck expansion, increasing the number of parking spaces by 81%; completion of the west wing, the new home to security checkpoint; and opening of the new Paradies gift shop on the concourse. Additional construction included completion of a new 92,493-square-foot air cargo building, featuring 5,250 square feet of cold storage space; the opening of a new state-of-the-art communications center; and completion of Taxiway L. With the onslaught of the recession, the aviation industry and the nation as a whole has had to make major adjustments. Change has become an inevitable part of our lives. We must work together to create a world in which we continue to do business, travel, and prosper. The Port of Huntsville has risen to that challenge without compromising our mission and our vision of moving you and your business to new heights. Our employees remain our biggest asset. We are proud to acknowledge that while companies nationwide implemented drastic reductions in staffing, the Port of Huntsville did not lay off one individual employed by the Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority. The Port of Huntsville has been a major contributor to the growth and development of the Tennessee Valley region for a number of years by providing employment opportunities, increased tax revenue for local and state governments, and first-class transportation facilities. The Port of Huntsville remains focused in its commitment to continue moving people and products forward for the betterment of our community.
Mark McDaniel, Chairman
Rick Tucker, Executive Director
Madison County named the Country’s Best Place to Live to Weather the Economy November 2008, Forbes
W
ith the economic downturn throughout the past year, businesses and industry across the nation
felt the impact. And while the Port of Huntsville was not immune from the effects of an ailing economy, it found itself in a position poised to continue growing and developing to meet the region’s future transportation needs. The community within which the Port of Huntsville is located continued to receive national accolades, such as Kiplinger’s “#1 Best City” and among Forbes’ “Top 5 Cities for Recession Recovery.” Supporting these accolades among numerous others, the Port of Huntsville forged ahead with its $65 million, five-year capital improvement project.
Among the most visual transformations of the capital improvement project was the completion of the west wing – the new home to security checkpoint – located on the second floor of the terminal building. The completion of the $5.4 million west wing marks the first of two wings near the former connector walkway to security checkpoint. Each wing will feature 30-foot high panoramic windows that overlook airfield operations. The east wing will be a large lobby/seating area accommodating up to 150 people. This renovation will also significantly widen the walkway toward the new wings – adding four times more space than the current public areas, including new restrooms, an expanded gift shop in the terminal, and upgraded flight information display systems.
Huntsville named one of the Top 5 Best Cities for Recession Recovery July 2009, Forbes
Huntsville International Airport opened its new parking deck expansion in March 2009 as a part of the capital improvement project. The expansion, which added more than 1,300 spaces to the existing deck, brings the total number of deck spaces to nearly 3,000 and total public spaces to more than 4,000. The expansion of the deck is part of an overall $26 million parking improvement project that includes improvements to surrounding roadways, relocation of exit toll booths, and the addition of more exit lanes to better serve customers.
Another welcome addition was Paradies’ new airside gift shop, Rocket City News. The all-new, 1,600-square-foot location celebrates Huntsville as the home of U.S. Space Camp and NASA with an aerospace theme, including a life-size astronaut as the store’s central focal point. As part of the new public waiting area, Paradies will open a new landside store – Explore! Huntsville – by the end of 2009. The new 1,535-square-foot store will be a showcase of everything Huntsville – from souvenirs to general information about Huntsville and the surrounding area.
Separate from the $65 million capital improvement project, other areas of growth and development emerged at the Port of Huntsville throughout FY09. In March, Huntsville International Airport opened Taxiway L, connecting the airport’s 12,600-foot and 10,000-foot parallel runways. The new $8.5 million taxiway – which is 25 feet wider than the existing taxiways at Huntsville International Airport – is a step in the overall plan to modify the west runway and air cargo ramps to a Group VI design, accommodating the largest airplanes in existence today. The development of the new taxiway helps to ease traffic flow and allows aircraft to easily transition between the east and west runways, thus saving time as well as money associated with fuel cost. A unique feature of Taxiway L is the tunnel underneath, which is a major safety component that allows traffic to travel under the taxiway, thereby reducing the risk of vehicle incursions. The tunnel allows for uninterrupted deliveries – such as the 12 to 14 trucks that deliver fuel daily – since trucks do not have to cross the taxiway.
Huntsville ranked 3rd among America’s Leading Technology Cities June 2008, Cybercities 2008, American Electronics Association Ensuring that air travel is safe and secure is the primary focus of Huntsville International Airport. In keeping with that mission, the airport earned the distinction of 12 consecutive years with zero infractions in its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification inspection. In addition, the airport completed a $3.5 million security enhancement project, including a new communications center that features a state-of-the-art, all digital system with direct feed for weather and flight information display systems. The new center enables the Department of Public Safety to continue offering superior security operations using some of the most advanced technology available and features enhanced access control; large, flat-screen monitors; and an enhanced emergency notification system. The facility is 1,500 square feet – approximately three times the size of the former center – and features new equipment that includes several key functionalities, such as increased zoom capability and overall picture clarity, as well as thermal imaging (night vision). The center provides accommodations for two operators to work simultaneously and also encompasses a conference room that can be used for emergency briefings in the event of an incident.
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As airports around the country scrambled to keep both flights and passengers from vanishing from their runways, the Port of Huntsville found itself in the unique position of marking the end of the 2008 calendar year with records in both passenger traffic and rail lifts. Huntsville International Airport concluded 2008 with serving 1,254,745 passengers, a 1.2% increase in traffic over the 2007 calendar year. Similarly, the International Intermodal Center – a multimodal transportation facility that provides one central location for companies to transfer, distribute, and store products and services – celebrated a record volume of 46,303 rail lifts, a 2% increase in lifts over the 2007 calendar year.
Huntsville named one of Top 5 Best Performing Cities in the Country September 2008, Milken Institute
Positioning the International Intermodal Center to continue with its record-setting trend and to meet the transportation needs of area industry for years to come, a new 92,493-square-foot air cargo building was completed in April 2009. The new $8 million facility features 5,250 square feet of cold storage space and 20-foot x 70-foot double bay doors. The new development will almost double in size the current 100,000-square-foot Air Cargo South facility where global Swiss freight forwarder, Panalpina, has resided since 1990. Another 100,000-square-foot air cargo building houses several carriers and freight forwarders, including Westwind Inc., DB Schenker, Fed Ex, and UPS.
Huntsville named one of the Country’s Top 5 Cities April 2009, Forbes for Defense Jobs As the airport and intermodal facility continued to grow, so did the Jetplex Industrial Park. Located in one of the fastest-growing, high-technology communities in the United States, the 4,000acre Jetplex Industrial Park offers a unique combination of air, rail, and truck transportation and is divided into six sections in order to meet diverse business requirements. Among the park’s numerous advances during the 2009 fiscal year was WestWind Technologies, Inc.’s breaking ground on its 65,000-square-foot Huntsville Aircraft Modification & Integration Center in the Jetplex Aviation Center East. The facility is designed to accommodate every type of helicopter in the Army’s inventory as well as a large number of fixed-wing aircraft with sizes up to the Air Force C-130s. Comprehensive aviation capabilities will include integration of new technologies into existing aircraft platforms with full engineering, electronics integration, and structural modification capabilities. The center will also offer full maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities for a broad spectrum of military and commercial aircraft.
Other developments within the Jetplex Industrial Park included the completion of the second phase of its Jetplex Tradeport by Triad Properties. The 102,100-square-foot building, which mirrors the first development that was completed in 2008, is suitable for light manufacturing and assembly and/or warehouse/distribution. Both buildings offer 24-foot minimum clear heights, ESFR sprinkler systems, skylights, 60-foot concrete truck aprons, and 9-foot x 10-foot dock-height loading doors. The tilt-wall construction was designed to incorporate accent bands with attractively designed storefront entrances.
Huntsville named one of 10 Great Cities for Salary Growth January 2009, Yahoo! Hotjobs
Following suit, Graham & Company completed phase two of its Airport Distribution Center in Jetplex Industrial Park North. Phase two encompasses a 208,031-square-foot warehouse facility that mirrors the first building completed in July 2007. Both buildings are divisible into 52,000 and 78,000 square feet with bays of 13,000 square feet (52’ x 250’). The building features 32foot minimum clearance ceiling height, concrete tilt-up construction, ESFR sprinkler systems, and additional trailer parking.
Navistar, a Jetplex Industrial Park tenant since 2002, celebrated its 75th year of building diesel engines with the dedication of its second plant in the park. The company’s newest plant assembles the company’s “big bore” diesel engines for heavy-duty commercial trucks. The 300,000-squarefoot facility produces two new engines – MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 – which are designed for International Class 8 trucks. Another Navistar plant, a 700,000-square-foot building in the Jetplex Industrial Park, builds V6 and V8 diesel engines for pickups and vans, commercial trucks, school buses, and RVs.
FY09 was a year of progress for the Port of Huntsville in continuing its mission to provide quality multimodal transportation services to a regional customer base and to stimulate economic growth and development of the Tennessee Valley region. Even during uncertain economic times, we have shown that together we can overcome overwhelming odds and prevail. Each of the three main operating entities had its own successes during FY09. As the nation’s economy and the aviation industry recover from extraordinary circumstances, the Port of Huntsville looks forward to moving you for years to come.
Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority Board of Directors
Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority Executive staff
(left to right)
(left to right)
William H. Johnston, Jr. - Vice Chairman
Mitch Bradley - Director, International Intermodal Center
Dwight Jennings - Member
Paul S. Kelly, Jr. - Director, Finance & Administration
Jeff Sikes - Vice Secretary
Doug Kreulen - Director, Operations
Mark McDaniel - Chairman
Brooks Kracke - Director, Jetplex Industrial Park
Betty Fletcher - Secretary/Treasurer
Stan Hogan - Director, Capital Improvements Richard Tucker - Executive Director Butch Roberts - Deputy Director Barbie Peek - Director, Marketing
Huntsville Mayor & City Council
Madison County Comission
(left to right)
(seated left to right)
Will Culver
Faye Dyer
Bill Kling, Jr.
Mike Gillespie - Chairman
Richard Showers, Sr.
Dale Strong
Tommy Battle - Mayor
(standing left to right)
Sandra Moon
Roger Jones
Mark Russell
Mo Brooks Jerry Craig Bob Harrison
Huntsville International Airport & International Intermodal Center Tenants Ground Transportation Executive Connection Passenger Airlines American Airlines Continental Express Delta Air Lines United Express US Airways Express General Aviation Aviation Maintenance of Huntsville C-Cubed Avionics Huntsville Flight Center (School & Charter) Signature Flight Support Air Cargo Atlas Air BAX Global Cargolux Federal Express Panalpina United Parcel Service
Ground Handling ATS DGS Integrated Airline Services Total Airport Solutions Rental Cars Avis Budget Dollar/Thrifty Hertz National/Alamo Airport Concessions Air Host Elite Travel The Grille Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau Janett’s Shoe Shine Parlor The Paradies Shop
U.S. Government Services Federal Aviation Administration Transportation Security Administration U.S. Customs & Border Protection U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Trade Zone Huntsville Foreign Trade Zone Corporation Customs Brokers / Freight Forwarders BAX Global Expeditors International J.F. Lumpkin Page & Jones Panalpina UPS Supply Chain Solutions Other Senator Richard Shelby District Office Sheraton Four Points Hotel Sunset Landing Golf Course
Jetplex Industrial Park Tenants Industrial Properties of the South Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) Graham Medical Clinic JRM Technologies JIT Services, Inc. ADEPT Technologies Ricoh F&H Components Airport Distribution Center SPAN International Hokuriku USA Limited Perez Services WestWind, Inc. Innovative Sales & Marketing ATI Firth Sterling Jetplex Distribution Services JIT Services, LLC The Boeing Company Aerobotix, Inc. Lean Distribution Continental AG Aldridge Industries, Inc. Liberty Transportation Futaba Corp. of America Armstrong Relocation Co. NXP Graham Bailey Properties, LLC CEVA Logistics On Semiconductors Parksite, Plunkett & Webster, Inc. Mtronics Spencer, Inc. Graham & Company of Huntsville, LLC Multitronics VMI, LLC LG Electronics Alabama, Inc. Champion Windows Okaya, Inc. Morris South (formerly R.O. Deaderick Co, Inc.) Cinram PLDS Navistar Big Bore Diesels, LLC Cope Plastics Tech Masters Navistar Diesel of Alabama, LLC G&K Services Tyco Electronics Parfums de Coeur, Ltd. Huntsville Hospital Jetplex Tradeport Prep-Tech, Inc. Northrop Grumman Jacobson Warehouse Raytheon Rocky Research SAIA Motor Freight Staples T.H. Marine Team Worldwide TRIAD Properties Wayne’s Environmental Services Arrowsight, Inc. New York Energy Group, LLC Turner Universal Construction Tyco Fire Products/CPVC Division Universal Lighting Technologies Woodmont Park, LLC WestWind Technologies, Inc.
Huntsville named one of
Money Magazine’s Top 6Money Places May 2009,
© 2009 McWhorter Communications