Rotary on the Road - Outagamie Airport

Rotarians who visited the Outagamie Airport on Tuesday listened to an excellent presentation during lunch on the airport facilities, funding and future plans by Airport Director Marty Lenss.  The airport is owned and operated by Outagamie County but requires no county tax dollars to operate because the $9 million budget is funded by passenger use fees paid by airline travelers and by leases/rents of airport buildings and property.  The airport is operated by 20 county employees and three contractors.  The contractors are responsible for public safety, the parking lot and the FBO (fixed base operator which has a flight school, maintenance facilities, rentals/charters and FBO services).  Outagamie County Airport is a significant asset for our community.  It is responsible for an impressive $407.5 million in economic output, supported 2,642 jobs and contributed an additional $119.9 million in wage income to neighboring economies.

After lunch the Rotary group boarded a Lamers bus and was given a guided bus tour, with Marty Lenss as our tour guide, of the Outagamie County Airport site including a trip through the maintenance shop.  During a snow event, employees working in the maintenance facility don't go home.  They are housed in a bunk house and are available to work when needed to clear runways, de-ice plans and keep the airport open.  As Marty said, "if you can get to the airport during a major snow event, we can get you on your plane and on your way to your destination.  We never shut down."  The bus tour took us by the Gulfstream facility which has over 1 million square feet of leased space, Fed Ex, the airport fire department, the new taxi-way that is being constructed for $12 million in federal capital funds to give full length departure access without crossing a runway, the site for the future Fox Valley Tech training center, Civil Air Patrol Buildings, and the area where new General Aviation buildings and hangars are going to be built.

The airline industry is incredibly competitive.  As Marty said, "In this turbulent economic climate, it's even more critical that our Fox Valley neighbors take full advantage of local air service options.  Ultimately, community support is the fuel that keeps our airport economy running smoothly and allows for regional business retention, relocation and growth."