Mid-South Community College has been awarded $3,391,053 by the U.S. Department of Labor to establish an aviation technology program in West Memphis. The grant is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Key partners in the program include Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville (which will receive $851,136 of the grant), the Arkansas Delta Training and Education Consortium (ADTEC), the Workforce Investment Board of Eastern Arkansas, FedEx Express, and Aviation Repair Technologies.

MSCC president Dr. Glenn Fenter said the college was, “honored to be given an opportunity of this magnitude to create a model for training workers for the growing aviation technology field. Our goal continues to be the creation of a workforce that will be second to none in the nation, and we believe this grant will give us the resources needed to accomplish great things in our region. We expect nothing short of a tremendous economic outcome as a result of this grant.”

Dr. Fenter’s predictions couldn’t be more accurate. Promotion of the aviation industry in Arkansas is listed as one of the eight priorities in Gov. Mike Beebe’s current Workforce Investment Act State Plan. The creation of High Growth Career Educational Pathways is the first priority in the plan, and the MSCC program will support both objectives.

U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, Congressmen Marion Berry and Mike Ross, and other state and regional leaders worked together to secure the significant grant for eastern Arkansas. With the support of that level of dedicated leadership and with the combined strength of the key partners in the program, success is all but guaranteed.

MSCC will use its funding to develop an integrated, FAA-certified training program for airframe and powerplant technicians. The model program will then be replicated at training facilities in major metropolitan areas. Emphasizing internships and on-the-job training, the MSCC program will give students the skills and experience needed to meet the demands of the aviation
maintenance industry.

But the success of the program will hinge on more than visionary leadership and the top-notch workforce training that MSCC can provide. The “tremendous economic outcome” Dr. Fenter said he expects to be generated locally by the program will come about in part because of the the unique location of West Memphis.

West Memphis has easy access to the third busiest section of interstate in the United States for truck traffic, the largest river for deepwater cargo traffic and two rail bridges across the Mississippi River. But West Memphis has appeal as an air traffic destination, as well.

Our proximity to Memphis International Airport, the world’s busiest cargo airport, goes without saying. West Memphis Municipal Airport, with a 6,000-foot runway, is a reliever airport for Memphis International.

But because of our central location and smaller size, West Memphis Municipal Airport is also a natural re-fuelling and maintenance stopover for corporate jets, air ambulances and sports team jets travelling across the country. And by extension, it makes sense that West Memphis is an ideal location for the construction of new aviation service, maintenance and training faclities. And there is plenty of available property near the airport to accommodate these types of facilities.

Of course, our proximity to FedEx and the involvement of FedEx Express in this project can’t be overlooked when estimating the potential for success of the planned aviation technology program. In addition to participating in the internship program, FedEx Express is donating an operating aircraft, tooling and test equipment to MSCC for student training.

Greg Hall, vice president of FedEx Express Aircraft Maintenance comments, “We are proud of our skilled and talented Aviation Maintenance Technicians. Observing their professionalism and expertise will help prepare MSCC students for future success in the aviation maintenance industry.”

As global business becomes more focused on the fast-paced energy and bioscience fields, West Memphis is perfectly suited to provide the time-sensitive access, easy distribution and logistical resources needed. We are focusing our economic development efforts on the targeted industries of warehouse distribution and logistics; time-sensitive manufacturing; biofuel production; and wind power.

With the addition of this MSCC technology program, we’re adding the aviation industry to that list. And we’re adding one more to the list of reasons why West Memphis makes sense for businesses of all kinds.

The city has received $545,000 for the improvements at City Hall, the Civic Center and the Municipal Court building. Once complete, the three buildings will require less power to operate resulting in reduced CO2 emissions of about 160 metric tons per year.

The funds, which originated from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, were awarded from a pool of $5 million through a program of the Arkansas Energy Office called the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.

The project evaluated different a variety of cooling systems, including geothermal. But readily available energy-efficient air conditioning units proved to provide the most effective savings. The air conditioning units in City Hall are the original units installed 36 years ago in 1974 when the building was built.

More than 650 lights will be replaced with energy efficient lighting.

Work is expected to begin in August.

Glen Bailey provides primary access to an industrial area that is home to a number of facilities, including Temple-Inland, Langston Bag and Kinder Morgan Warehouse. The road has become prematurely damaged due to earlier-than-expected truck traffic, and is in fact impassible in some places.

In an effort to make the project more sustainable, existing asphalt pavement is being ground up and used as the base for the new concrete surface. Weather permitting paving should begin in early August. Plans call for the road to re-open some time in the fall.

MSCC’s portion of the grant will fund faculty, equipment and supplies to support a career pathway in Diesel Technology with employable “stop-out” points at high school graduation, community college credentials (certificates and degree), and a baccalaureate degree.

The Bachelor of Science degree will be provided in partnership with Montana State University Northern (MSUN), recognized by industry leaders as one of the nation’s top diesel programs.

“This grant gives us the resources to dramatically expand our existing diesel technology program and double the number of workers we can train,” said Dr. Glen Fenter, MSCC President. “With our proximity to the largest transportation and distribution center in the region, we will be able to create some phenomenal training and
career opportunities for our students.”

In support of the expanded program, MSCC will break ground soon on the $6 million ADTEC BioDiesel Technology Center on the North Campus. The 31,000-square foot facility will include a biofuel engine testing facility and fuel and oil analysis laboratories which will support adoption of biofuels by the transportation industry.

The facility will also support research by regional universities on the impact of biofuels and biolubricants on engine performance and durability.

Learn more about MSCC’s programs.

The concert, “Blues Trail to Chicago,” and exhibit, “Faces of the Blues,” took place on the evening of May 20, the same day two second-generation officers, Brandon Paudert and Bill Evans, were shot and killed during a traffic stop.

The event focused on a handful of West Memphis-grown artists, including B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Ike Turner, Albert King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and others. West Memphis was a thriving performance venue during the 1940s, 50s and 60s, and significantly contributed to the history of blues music in the Delta Region.

Read more about the event in this article from The Daily News.

Company president L.D. Hardas says the city’s location as a distribution hub and the tax breaks and cooperation from city officials make West Memphis a great place to expand his company. Awesome, which currently employs 80 in West Memphis, manufactures its own brand of cleaning products, including bleach, detergent, carpet, window and all-purpose cleaning solutions. Hardas expects partner companies that manufacture bottles, caps and labels to eventually set up shop in West Memphis.

Read more about the expansion in The Memphis Business Journal or check out the clip below from WREG-TV in Memphis.

Click here to view the embedded video.