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Can Holland airport land more companies?
2/22/2007
Business Review Western Michigan
By Mark Fellows
mfellows@mbusinessreview.com
Trendway Corp. might have ditched its corporate jet during the last office furniture downturn, save for one thing.
"We hung onto the airplane in that time for the very reason that we think it's a great selling tool," Chairman Don Heeringa said.
Trendway keeps its Cessna Citation at nearby Tulip City Airport, which also serves other local employers, including Gentex Corp., Johnson Controls Inc., Haworth Inc. and Herman Miller Inc. Economic developers want to learn what other companies might find Holland's airport a reason to locate there.
"Could we attract a jet-engine repair facility, a distribution company that uses its own air service, those types of air-related companies that might benefit from being in a less-congested, purely business airport?" wonders Randy Thelen, president of Holland-Zeeland-based economic development agency Lakeshore Advantage.
The agency commissioned local consultants Whitakker Associates to develop a list of corporate prospects that might find the airport attractive, Thelen said. He hopes to have something in hand in April.
The study also will benchmark Tulip City Airport against others in the Midwest, he said, to assist the recruitment effort.
"We've made a sizable investment in an important piece of infrastructure," he said. "We need to make sure there's an awareness of that asset, that opportunity."
An approximately $20 million upgrade a couple years ago included lengthening the runway to 6,262 feet, which, with the airport's instrument landing system capability, makes it an attractive base for corporate aircraft. A longer runway accommodates larger aircraft and allows greater fuel loads, allowing longer nonstop flights.
The airport has room for new hangars and the surrounding industrial district also has plenty of space for new development, Thelen said.
A new class of very light jets is expected to energize the corporate aviation market, which airport promoters hope could give it a further boost.
A recent Lakeshore Advantage survey of the top dozen corporate users found the airport supports some 12,000 local jobs, Thelen reported. Tulip City hosts some 40,000 takeoffs and landings a year, according to city figures.
Trendway has kept a jet for 20 years, Heeringa said, using it mostly to shuttle in customers almost weekly.
The jet, now shared with the Holland Group holding company, contributes to an 88 percent sales closing ratio for Trendway, Heeringa said. That generates millions of dollars in sales and helps the 350-employee company run with the big dogs in its industry.
Focusing on service, Heeringa said, "we can only really have people experience that firsthand and meet people here and tell them about our resources and show how we manage that aspect of our company. It's very successful for us."
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