As you are about to see, West Virginia's Benedum Airport has undergone an amazing metamorphosis this past decade. What served for years as a quiet landing strip has blossomed into a hub of aerospace activity, studded with vital commercial, government and academic-sponsored operations known collectively as the Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex, or MAAC.

It wasn't happy coincidence that brought them to this corner of north central West Virginia. It was a deliberate strategy on our part to match the needs of our people with the needs of the marketplace; a strategy to diversify our economy by targeting an industry with growth prospects.

Through careful study, we identified niche market opportunities in the aerospace industry - opportunities we were well-suited to seize given our advantageous geographic location and abundance of skilled workers left dislocated by downturns in coal and other traditional industries. Today, our West Virginia workers help MAAC serve a critical need by providing first-rate maintenance, overhaul, manufacturing and training services.

Thanks to Senator Robert C. Byrd's highly successful efforts to secure the federal resources needed to advance Benedum Airport, the dream has become a reality. As with so many other projects throughout West Virginia, Senator Byrd's vision and support has been absolutely crucial to MAAC's success. We all owe him a debt of gratitude.

It's been my pleasure to work in close support of the Senator, and in concert with stakeholders at the site to establish MAAC as an engine for continued progress.