Elizabeth City Aviation Businesses Flying High
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From the Wright Brothers’ first flight at nearby Kitty Hawk to the opening of the Coast Guard’s Air Station in 1940‚ aviation has played a vital role in the economic development of Elizabeth City and the surrounding area.
Today the city is home to the Coast Guard’s largest aviation complex and numerous aviation-related businesses. Associated with the Coast Guard are about 1‚700 active-duty members and civilian employees.
The base is home to the Coast Guard Aircraft Repair and Supply Center (ARSC). Commissioned in 1947‚ the center is where all aircraft throughout the Coast Guard are sent for major repair and overhaul.
“We provide the warehousing‚ logistics‚ information systems and depot-level (major) maintenance to support Coast Guard missions‚” says Doris Creps‚ public affairs coordinator for the center. “When you’re talking aircraft mechanics and sheet-metal workers‚ you aren’t talking about minimum-wage jobs‚” she says‚ emphasizing the number of good-paying jobs the center generates.
ARSC‚ with an annual payroll of about $75 million‚ is one of seven Coast Guard commands in Elizabeth City.
Aviation-related military‚ business and industry are the backbone of the city and area economy. ARSC alone manages 180 contracts valued at $450 million and has the Coast Guard’s largest inventory‚ valued at about $831 million.
The area is also home to many aviation-related businesses‚ including TAMSCO. TAMSCO – Technical and Management Services Corp. – provides services to the Coast Guard for aircraft repair‚ modification and overhaul. The company‚ located near the Coast Guard base‚ is in the process of constructing an 80‚000-square-foot aircraft overhaul facility that will provide Elizabeth City and the county with about 200 new jobs.
“It should do big things for the local economy‚” says Jeff Berry‚ general manager for the company’s Coast Guard programs. “We won’t be the only employer that benefits from this‚” he adds‚ referring to the other aviation-related jobs the facility will create.
Elizabeth City’s ties to the Coast Guard go beyond aviation. The city is also home to the Coast Guard’s National Strike Force Coordinating Center‚ whose mission is to provide highly trained‚ experienced personnel and specialized equipment to respond to oil and hazardous-substance pollution incidents throughout all Coast Guard districts and federal response regions.
“It’s an aviation industry here‚” said Bruce Drahos‚ executive director for the Albemarle Economic Development Commission (AEDC). “With the military‚ civilian employees and contractors‚ you’re talking about a huge economic impact here‚ especially in the real estate market.”
According to Drahos‚ a top priority for the commision is forming an even closer relationship with the Coast Guard and aviation community.
“First‚ I plan on seeing what the Coast Guard needs from (the AEDC) and see how we can ease the transition of people coming in‚” says Drahos‚ who has recently taken over as commission director. “But it’s not just about the Coast Guard; it’s about the whole aviation industry here.”
Ties to the Coast Guard run so deeply that the city has applied for the official designation of “Coast Guard City‚” an official recognition by the Coast Guard and Congress of a community for its support of the military branch and its personnel. The designation would make it one of only six cities in the nation so recognized.
“We’ve enjoyed having the Coast Guard as a neighbor for many years‚” says Vivian White‚ public information officer for Elizabeth City. “[The designation] is a way to recognize the Coast Guard for all they’ve done here and a way to pay tribute for their presence here over the years.”
Story by Tom Gillespie
Photo by Wes Aldridge
