MONTGOMERY, Alabama – For officials from Dothan, the Farnborough International Airshow is an opportunity to tell aviation and defense companies from around the globe what the south Alabama city can offer them.
That includes proximity to the Army’s Fort Rucker and its growing hub for unmanned aircraft training and testing; a regional airport with about 500 acres of developable property; and a trainable pool of employees.
“We’re going to show that we have space if anybody is looking to expand or locate in the state, and we have the workforce that can handle it too,” Jason Wright, Dothan’s governmental and external affairs coordinator, said about the city’s mission at Farnborough. “All of the original equipment manufacturers that will be tied to the unmanned systems at Fort Rucker, they’re going to need a place to go.
“We want to show that we’re open for business and want to engage in any meaningful conversation that they would want to have.”
Farnborough, the biennial airshow outside London, kicks off Monday. The Alabama delegation led by Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair and Liz Filmore, chief of staff for Governor Kay Ivey, includes representatives from more than a dozen cities and economic development organizations around the state.
Some are returning to London to build on previous success in the aviation industry.
“Mobile is on track to become the fourth-largest producer of commercial aircraft in the world. That creates a tremendous opportunity to build the supplier network, workforce pipeline and aerospace ecosystem needed to support Airbus’ continued growth in North America,” said Mobile Chamber President and CEO Bradley Byrne. “Farnborough gives us the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the companies shaping the future of aerospace and show them why Mobile belongs in that conversation.”
The show gives delegation members the chance for one-on-one meetings with representatives of aerospace, aviation and defense companies.
Since 2015, aerospace, defense and aviation companies have announced $4.3 billion in new investments in Alabama, resulting in more than 15,000 new jobs.
Past airshow missions have helped keep Mobile in front of international aerospace decision-makers and reinforce the message that our community is serious about supporting the broader aviation industry, said David Rodgers, Mobile Chamber executive vice president of economic development.
“These trips are not just about one conversation or one prospect,” Rodgers said. “They are about consistently building relationships, opening doors and positioning Mobile as an emerging aerospace ecosystem with the workforce, infrastructure and partnerships to compete globally.”
Statewide effort
Like others in the delegation, Ben Harrison, director of Cullman Regional Airport, will have private meetings at Farnborough that could lead to new growth at the airport.
He’ll promote Wallace State Community College’s aviation program, housed at the airport, and plans for drone pilot training. The airport is creating more space for drone use as commercial and defense applications for the technology expand.
“We see that as a great addition to what’s happening with aviation as a whole,” Harrison said. “We want to be on the front end of changes and be able to handle those aircraft.”
Local growth is the goal at Farnborough, but Harrison said he and others on the trip also see a statewide mission.
“We’re stronger as a unit than we are as individual entities,” Harrison said.
His role isn’t to compete with Huntsville International Airport for defense contractors and other companies looking for a new location, he said. It’s to complement the larger airport and work together to benefit the area and state.
“Maybe Huntsville International gets tier 1 suppliers, and we try to get the tier 2 or the tier 3 supporting developments in north Alabama,” Harrison said.
The Alabama envoy also includes leaders from Auburn and Birmingham, the Huntsville and Cullman airports, Gadsden IDA, Limestone and Morgan counties economic development associations, Opelika Economic Development and the Huntsville/Madison Chamber of Commerce.
The Huntsville chamber has been attending Farnborough and, in alternating years, the Paris Air Show, since the 1980s.
“For a community like Huntsville, with a high concentration of existing aerospace industry, there’s no better place to engage with the most senior leadership of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies than the Farnborough Airshow,” said Mike Ward, the Huntsville/Madison chamber’s senior vice president of government and public affairs. “If the target market is decision makers, that’s the place to be.”
Huntsville is now home to Cummings Research Park, the fourth largest such park in the world and second largest in the U.S. About half of the local economy is driven by federal spending and the U.S. Space Command headquarters is expected to bring about 1,800 jobs to Redstone by 2032.
“Aerospace and defense company executives are drawn to these events, and communities like Huntsville have been able to leverage these events to help us nurture relationships with key aerospace company executives,” Ward said. “These events also pro
