Georgia County Government-August 2008

Transportation 2008 Expanding Rural Airports Partnering for Economic Development in Upson County With partners like the Federal Aviation Administration and the Georgia DOT Aviation Programs and other sources, committed local leaders are expanding rural airports. The Thomaston-Upson County Airport is a model of its kind, bringing economic vitality to the whole west central Georgia region. N estled between Pike and Taylor counties, in a textile community home to more than 27,000 residents, is an economic engine that has thrived for more than a decade far beyond its leaders’ vision. The Thomaston-Upson County Airport, arguably one of the most successful small airports in Georgia, has emerged as more than an aviation marvel. With 6,350 feet of runway and 70 T-hangars (including three corporate), the airport represents one of the state’s best examples of how a community combined vision and resources to construct a facility that attracts new jobs to a region once known more for manufacturing than for the single and multiple-engine aircraft it now houses. When it was built 14 years ago, the Thomaston-Upson County Airport opened as the first designed specifically for industrial development. It was not without risks when leaders in this west central Georgia community first introduced their proposal to build - from the ground up - an airport with the potential to bring new jobs to Upson and neighboring counties. Faced with losing some 5,000 textile jobs in the 1980s, leaders conceived the idea, developed a plan and won support for its approval when voters gave the OK through a referendum. The airport, which boasts a 3,000square-foot terminal, is a replacement to Reginald Grant Memorial Airport, a facility that served small aircraft in the Upson County area for years. However, a growing community, coupled with little room for expansion, forced leaders to the drawing board to develop plans for a new airport that could accommodate corporate and business aircraft. Leaders in the region established an airport authority to oversee An aerial view of Thomaston-Upson County Airport. the development and future operation of the new facility. According to Mitch Ellerbee, who manages the regional airport, “By going out on a limb, the leadership here was able to maximize the benefit of being a viable airport within reach of industry.” Today, industries in the region - including large employers Quad/Graphics and InnoWare Plastics Inc. - employ some 1,500 workers. Additionally, the airport serves every major industry in Upson and surrounding counties, stretching from Clayton County to the north to Taylor County to the south. Making It Happen Long before contracts were signed to build the Thomaston-Upson County ‘By going out on a limb, the leadership here was able to maximize the benefit of being a viable airport within reach of industry.’ – Mitch Ellerbee, Manager of the Thomaston-Upson County Airport Airport, city and county leaders moved quickly to respond to two of the most critical questions facing the project - who would fund its construction and operation and would the community support it? “In the case of the Thomaston-Upson County Airport, there was a commitment from the community demonstrating the need and the desire to build a new facility,” says Georgia DOT Aviation Programs Manager Carol Comer. “As with many of the projects we help fund, we are always impressed with local governments that are prepared to assist in financially supporting their own efforts.” Indeed, local government and business leaders took an early lead in funding the airport in Upson County, with a decision to use local funding to purchase the land for the project. The City of Thomaston and Upson County officials spent approximately $450,000 for land, ensuring that it had enough capacity should expansion become necessary. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contributed 90 percent of the funding for construction, while the Georgia DOT added 5 percent. The entire project cost $6.6 million to build 14 years ago. AIRPORT continued on page 20 AUGUST 2008 www.accg.org 19 http://www.accg.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Georgia County Government-August 2008

Georgia County Government- August 2008 Contents President’s Message County Matters Georgia’s Transportation Issues More Critical to Counties than Ever Expanding Rural Airports: Partnering for Economic Development in Upson County Meet DOT Commissioner Gena Abraham Bridge Infrastructure and Risk Counties and the Law: Georgia’s Fair Employment Practices Act Georgia’s Grand Old Courthouses: Coffee County Extension News: Infrastructure Investments Save County Funds Research Corner: Getting the Most Out of Your Research Discover the New Georgia Encyclopedia NACo News Staff News County Parade Index of Advertisers

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