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As a U.S. Senator representing West Virginia, I have
worked to help lay a solid foundation of infrastructure
in my state, upon which can be built new business
opportunities that will benefit West Virginia and the
nation. While working on the federal level to help West
Virginia broaden and diversify its economic base, I have
always been keenly aware that the federal piece is but
one of multiple pieces that must come together in just
the right fashion to form a successful business venture
like the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex (MAAC).
Together with Congressman Alan Mollohan, I have worked
to help attract aviation and aerospace firms to the
Bridgeport area and to support the work of those firms.
For example, I have helped to provide the federal
resources that will support extension of the airport
runway to 7,000 feet. In turn, Lockheed Martin, Pratt &
Whitney, Northrop Grumman, and Bombardier/Short
Brothers, and a National Guard pilot training facility
have found their Harrison County location to be an
asset. Local community leaders have been eager to help
provide the firms with needed resources; and area
residents, possessing a strong work ethic typical of
West Virginians, have presented the MAAC with a willing
and able workforce.
The contribution of academia has also been important
to the evolution of MAAC. Fairmont State College, with
the help of federal funding I obtained, established the
Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Educational Center at
the Bridgeport complex to provide neighboring aviation
firms with a pool of skilled workers, as well as a
facility for national and state conferences, workshops,
and seminars focused on aviation and aerospace concerns.
Thanks to cooperative efforts by members of the
public and private sectors and academia, the
Mid-Atlantic Aerospace complex has defied many
preconceived notions about the potential for an
aviation-focused industrial center in mountainous West
Virginia, and it now stands as a shining example of an
enterprise ready to meet the challenges of the 21st
century. |
