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GSP Airport completes $125M terminal renovation project

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport’s $125 million WINGSPAN renovation project has been completed after nearly five years of work.

Started in late 2012, GSP’s second renovation project included the addition of walkways, a 1,700-square-foot conference center, a garden area, more retail and concessions options, family restrooms, nursing areas and an “area of rescue” to protect people for up to two hours in the case of a fire.

The expansion is expected to hold about 4 million passengers annually, double the 2 million-passenger mark the airport broke last year.

According to GSP’s Vice President of Communications Rosylin Weston, the project needed to meet GSP’s goals: physical and modern attractiveness, improved customer service, sustainability and upgrades for safety and security procedures.

This post contains excerpts from an article published by The Greenville News. Read the full article here>>

Susie Shannon named president and CEO of the SC Council on Competitiveness

The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness has named Sue-Ann (“Susie”) Shannon its next president and CEO. Shannon will be joining the Council from BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, where she served as senior public policy counsel.

“Susie’s background, skills and experience are a terrific match for the Council,” said Ed Sellers, chairman of the Council’s Executive Committee. “She believes in our mission of advancing South Carolina’s long-term economic competitiveness, and she takes the helm at an exciting time of growth for our organization.”

Shannon previously worked as Director of Research for Palmetto Institute, an independent research foundation whose recent issues include Teach For America, The Benefit Bank® of South Carolina, tax reform, commercialization, agri-business, entrepreneurship training in rural areas, and workforce quality. She also practiced law for many years in the Columbia office of McNair Law Firm, P.A., in its Administrative-Regulatory section. In 2015, she was appointed by Governor Haley to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority.

“I’m very excited to join the Council and to continue to grow the competitiveness of our state, industries, and citizens,” said Shannon.

She currently serves as board chair of SC Thrive and is a member of the board of directors for Central Carolina Community Foundation. She is a graduate of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative, the Nonprofit Leadership Institute of Francis Marion University and is a Liberty Fellow.

Shannon is a native of Loris, a farming community located in Horry County, South Carolina. She served in the U.S. Army Reserves and is a Veteran of Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina and has worked as adjunct faculty at Midlands Technical College and University of South Carolina School of Law.

The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness is a nonpartisan, business-led non-profit organization committed to advancing the long-term economic competitiveness of our state, industries, and citizens. Our work is accomplished through: actionable research on opportunities and threats to South Carolina’s competitiveness; support of industry clusters that provide South Carolina a competitive advantage; and education and workforce development initiatives that ensure all South Carolina’s citizens are equipped to compete in a global economy. We execute our work through partnerships recognizing that our state’s economic success is secured through sustained collaboration among the private, public, academic and non-profit sectors. For more information, visit www.sccompetes.org.

From Texas to South Carolina: Erickson to discuss the F-16’s move to Greenville

Don Erickson, site director for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Greenville, will present at this year’s South Carolina Aerospace Conference and Expo on August 30, 2017.

Erickson will discuss Lockheed’s decision to move F-16 production from Fort Worth to Greenville. The move was announced in March and is expected to bring 250 new jobs to the facility in two years.

As site director, Erickson is responsible for all activities associated with aircraft modification, maintenance, repair, overhaul (MMRO), final assembly services, and company management system (CMS) compliance. Erickson also serves on SC Aerospace’s Advisory Board.

Learn more about the F-16 Fighting Falcon>>

South Carolina to launch aerospace curriculum in high schools

South Carolina high school students will soon have access to aerospace engineering classes. Beginning this fall, six high schools across the state will offer the courses:

Battery Creek High School in Beaufort.
Edisto High School in Cordova.
Emerald High School in Greenwood.
Pickens County Career and Technology Center in Liberty (2018 – 2019 school year).
RB Stall High School in Charleston.
Sumter Career and Technology Center in Sumter.

The aerospace curriculum was formally recommended to the South Carolina Department of Education by SC Aerospace – an industry cluster supported by the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness and the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

“Talent development is a top priority for our industry,” said James Stephens, chairman of the SC Aerospace Education Working Group and executive director of the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission. “This curriculum is a great fit for South Carolina’s aerospace industry in particular because it is multi-disciplinary. Students learn aerospace engineering principles and written and oral communication skills through presenting their projects to industry representatives.”

The courses are designed to appeal to students who are curious about the design and flight of aircraft and spacecraft vehicles. The curriculum consists of four courses: fundamentals of aerospace technology, advanced aerospace technology, aeronautics engineering application and astronautics engineering applications. Click here to download a .pdf with more details>>

“We are excited to bring this innovative opportunity to South Carolina schools. These courses not only prepare students for post-secondary success but also teach them critical skills needed to fill jobs in one of our state’s most thriving industries,” said South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “This is another great example of South Carolina’s leadership and collaborative approach that will ultimately lead to a concentration of highly skilled talent in our state.”

Each school implementing the aerospace curriculum this fall will receive $50,000 from the SC Department of Education to help cover the startup costs involved with the course offerings.

“The average total compensation for a private-sector aerospace employee in South Carolina is around $70,000 per year. For young people who may be attracted to this high-tech, steadily growing industry, I can tell you that if you learn skills to work on or around airplanes, it’s likely you’ll have a well-paid job for life,” said Steve Townes, chairman of SC Aerospace and president and CEO of Ranger Aerospace in Greenville.

With implementation beginning this coming school year, the first generation of students who have completed the aerospace courses could graduate in 2019. Students in schools with a block schedule will be able to complete the courses in two years, while students in schools with a traditional schedule will be able to complete the courses in four years.

“This is a perfect example of how Team South Carolina can collaborate to make our companies and our citizens more competitive,” said SC Department of Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt. “Business leaders worked together with educators on this project to develop the next generation of aerospace talent right here in South Carolina.”

The curriculum was developed by the Southern Regional Education Board and has been adopted in schools in five other states across the nation: three in Ohio, two in North Carolina, one in Delaware, one in West Virginia, and two in Alabama.

A panel will convene to discuss the new curriculum at the SC Aerospace Conference and Expo on August 30^th in Columbia. More information about the event is available here.

Reflection on the 787-10’s first flight: how industries depend on each other

Earlier this month, SC Aerospace Director Adrianne Beasley was on hand for the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner took its inaugural flight in North Charleston. The flight marked a significant milestone for South Carolina –the 787-10 is the first Boeing aircraft to be manufactured entirely at Boeing’s North Charleston facility. She and SC Logistics Director Suzanne Dickerson paused to reflect on this milestone, specifically how industries in South Carolina can depend on one another to remain competitive.

Beasley and Dickerson emphasized that cooperation between the state’s aerospace and logistics clusters, as well as its other industries, can advance South Carolina’s long-term economic competitiveness and is a natural step for industries so closely intertwined.

“It makes sense to build, retain and grow assets that benefit more than one targeted segment of the economy,” Dickerson said. “Providing a strong statewide level of support through educational and workforce development programs and other assets is important to enhance, connect and grow these industries.”

According to Beasley, a strong workforce is only part of the answer as to why these industries have flourished here.

“South Carolina has a legacy of manufacturing, which has created a strong infrastructure to support the growing aerospace and logistics clusters,” Beasley said. “The state has done an excellent job of promoting a welcoming economic climate for these large industry clusters – allowing companies to keep costs low and increase revenue. Combine that with a skilled workforce, and it creates an environment that is ripe for growth.”

This environment is precisely why industries are seeing such high growth rates in South Carolina. A study released by the SC Council on Competitiveness last year on the aerospace industry’s economic impact found that aerospace has a $19 billion economic impact on the state’s economy and accounts for 100,000 jobs.

Growth in aerospace is a good sign for logistics as well, particularly where the clusters intersect.

“Air freight is the fastest growing freight transportation mode and is expected to grow by 97% over the next two decades,” Dickerson explained. “Here it makes sense to connect those air freight providers, who are typically known as third-party logistics providers, or 3PL, with more manufacturers who can leverage this growth to improve their productivity. This is extremely important considering we expect a nearly doubling of the amount of freight movement in SC over the next decades.”

Beasley and Dickerson said the intersection between clusters is exactly where efforts to grow and advance industry in South Carolina can be maximized.

“Nearly 10 percent of the aerospace workforce in South Carolina are in the air transportation and air freight fields, but that isn’t the only overlap in the two clusters,” Beasley said. “Large scale manufacturing relies heavily on efficient supply chain management, collecting and analyzing big data and improving information technology.”

“Specific technologies are rallying points for collaboration between these two sectors – advanced materials, virtual and augmented reality technologies, big data and cybersecurity are examples,” Dickerson said.

The completed 787-10 Dreamliner is a perfect example of the synergy between industries that makes South Carolina a great place to do business.

“South Carolina’s track record of building some of the world’s most complex and highest quality machines shows firsthand the skilled labor force that we have in the state and certainly helps us to attract new companies to invest here,” Dickerson said. “As more suppliers move to South Carolina to support the growing highly technical clusters like aerospace and automotive, the more critical efficient logistics will be to those industries. Being in those discussions in the early phases of development with industry and the supply chain will give us the best competitive advantage.”

“With each new product and facility that is invested in in South Carolina, we see a ripple effect in growth of suppliers and support industries, all of which increase the number of highly skilled jobs for South Carolinians,” Beasley added. “That’s why the 787-10 Dreamliner is such a huge accomplishment for South Carolina.”

For more on SC Logistics and the Council on Competitiveness, please visit their websites.

SC Aerospace represented at AEROMat and German American Chambers of Commerce

SC Aerospace Chairman and Ranger Aerospace CEO Steve Townes represented South Carolina’s aerospace cluster at two industry-focused events in the past month.

On March 28, Townes spoke at the German Southeastern Aerospace Forum at the Delta Flight Museum in Atlanta, Ga. His presentation on aerospace growth in the Southeastern US was part of a larger afternoon session focused on the aerospace industry in the Southeastern US. Townes also moderated a discussion following his presentation. Other sessions of the program included an introduction to the aerospace industry in Germany, company presentations and time to network with the German delegation hosted by the German American Chambers of Commerce.

Townes also presented at the 28th annual AeroMat 2017 Conference & Exposition in Charleston on April 10. His presentation discussed methods for growing the aerospace industry in South Carolina. AeroMat attracted speakers and attendees from all over the country. The conference speakers covered both industry and technical topics relating to the aerospace industry and its future.

Bamberg aerospace company manufactures parts in White House, Mars

There are a number of small parts made of high-tech materials that have gone to the moon, to Mars, in Olympic bobsleds and NASCAR race cars, across the sky in commercial jets and in a White House Christmas ornament, that have one thing in common.

They were made right here in South Carolina by Phoenix Specialty Manufacturing.

On March 23, Phoenix celebrated its 110th year in business and 50th year in Bamberg, S.C. Started in New York in 1907, Phoenix moved its operations to South Carolina in 1967 to fulfill a promise made by founder Robert Hurst, Sr., to help boost his friend Franklin Rizer “Ziggy” Hartzog’s political credentials. Since then, the plant has grown from its original 14,000-square-foot building to a 120,000-square-foot facility on Highway 301.

The company has remained in the family – a remarkable feat acknowledged by S.C. Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt at the March 23 celebration – and is now run by Robert Hurst, Jr.

Phoenix makes 10,000 unique parts for 2,000 global customers and its 100 employees turn out between 500,000 to 600,000 parts per day. Its parts are found in many commercial and military jet engines around the world.

This post contains excerpts from an article published by The State. Read the full article here>>

Greenville Tech’s aircraft maintenance program moves into new facility this summer

South Carolina’s aerospace industry cluster accounts for 17,000 private sector jobs with an average total compensation rate of $71,000 per year. Greenville Technical College offers training to provide the necessary workforce through its aircraft maintenance technology program, located at the S.C. Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC).

Students may pursue one of three certificates, an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree, in partnership with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. According to program department head Carl Washburn, students who graduate and earn the FAA certification have strong job placement rates within the industry.

The program is limited by the size of the current facility, Washburn said. Greenville Tech is constructing a $20-million, 93,808-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in conjunction with the S.C. National Guard. They plan to move into the new building this summer and begin classes in the fall. The new facility will be three times the size of the current space and will include dedicated lab space, a larger hangar for 12 fixed-wing aircraft, including the 1983 Falcon 10 Dassault aircraft donated by Spinx Inc., and one helicopter, and will allow the program to grow and increase the number of students able to complete the program and enter South Carolina’s growing aerospace workforce.

This aircraft maintenance technology program is licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Certificates are available for airframe, powerplant and avionics, and each takes 18 months to complete. The two-year associate’s degree program requires 2,000 contact hours, including 1,000 hours in lab or classroom work and 1,000 hours of working on airplanes. Students work on every part of the aircraft, including the engine, landing gear and hydraulics, said Washburn. The experience is similar to the work being done nearby at Honeywell and Lockheed Martin.

This post contains excerpts from an article published by GSA Business Report. Read the full article here>>

Boeing could save $2-3M on each Dreamliner with 3D printing

Boeing plans to partner with Norwegian company Norsk Titanium to produce additive titanium parts for the 787 Dreamliner. The 787 uses more titanium than similar planes given the carbon-fiber fuselage and wings, therefore using 3D printing, to make the parts would save Boeing an estimated $2 to $3 billion on each plane.

Boeing designed the components and both companies collaborated during the development process. The FAA certification process was completed in February of this year and officials expect the required permits to be in place soon.

Manufacturing is set to begin in Europe by the end of this year and will eventually move to Plattsburgh, New York.

This post contains excerpts from an article published by AeroTime. Read the full article here>>

Columbia Metropolitan Airport uses solar to cut costs, generate revenue

Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the first South Carolina airport to install a solar farm on its property, joining only a handful of airports in the United States.

The solar farm is part of the airport’s EcoProject, short for Enhanced Construction Opportunities Projects. These projects are part of the airport’s efforts to adopt environmentally friendly programs and meet its obligation to run as economically as possible by lowering energy costs. Between 2010 and 2018, $60 million will be invested in these capital improvement projects and the EcoProject programs are expected to deliver more than $300,000 in annual savings.

Installation of the 4,368 3-foot-by-6-foot photovoltaic panels was completed in October. The $2.5 million, ground-mount solar farm can generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes. According to the airport’s Executive Director Dan Mann, the farm should be connected to the power grid by the end of May or June, pending completion of a study by the S.C. Electric & Gas Company.

According to airport documents, the airport will break even on the project in 10 years. After that, the airport would start making a profit and net about $1.8 million over 20 years.

This post contains excerpts from an article published by Columbia Regional Business Report. Read the full article here>>

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