Leadership Clinton’s economic development day was hosted by Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) in its corporate headquarters at Wilmington Air Park.
Submitted photos
The 36th class of Leadership Clinton met again on Thursday, Feb. 15. The theme for the day was “Economic Development.”
The event was hosted by Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) in its corporate headquarters at Wilmington Air Park. Leadership Clinton also welcomed its new Adult Program Director, Raegan Eltzroth, who led the class in an exploration of the rich variety of industries that make their home here in Clinton County.
At the beginning of the day, the participants were greeted by Debbie Loveless, vice president for human capital at ATSG, and Alex Beres, executive director of the Clinton County Port Authority. The port authority took over ownership of the air park in 2010 and operates it as a public-private partnership with ATSG.
Beres explained that the air park hosts 14 businesses with a combined total of around 4,600 employees. Of these, around 1,600 belong to ATSG, making it the largest employer in Clinton County. Following this presentation, the group heard from Josh Roth, economic development director, who is also a member of the class. Roth described three areas of focus that are vital to economic development: workforce, housing, and infrastructure. He explained that Clinton County is a “major importer of labor,” with the workers who commute here from other areas receiving better pay on average than those who commute elsewhere from the county.
After hearing from the port authority, Mike Berger, president of ATSG, addressed the class. Berger discussed the importance of optimistic, forward-looking leadership, especially in difficult times such as the area experienced when DHL closed its operations in 2009. Following his encouraging message, the class heard from Kym Parker, director of marketing. Parker emphasized the need for affordable housing for the thousands of people who come here to work. While development in the area often focuses on high-end housing, the area is experiencing a critical shortage of apartments and lower priced single-family homes.
Following the morning meeting, the class was divided into two groups and invited to tour the ATSG and ABX facilities. They were able to see the Boeing 767s up close, in different stages of repair, and climb inside some of the cargo planes. Each group was guided by a series of managers in charge of various aspects of aircraft maintenance. The facility even machines its own parts when necessary. The air traffic control tower was also on the tour, with its spectacular views of the countryside and the two-mile-long stretches of runway.
ABX Air, a subsidiary of ATSG, is the cargo airline formerly known as Airborne Express. It is also headquartered at the air park and uses CVG Airport as its hub. The offices are staffed by dozens of workers who manage all aspects of air travel, including the scheduling and tracking of flights and crew, ordering of aircraft parts, and planning the maintenance for the 24 planes that they operate.
After lunch, the class devoted an hour to planning a community service project that will be done between now and their graduation ceremony on April 23. The project will involve a donation drive for local animal shelters. As ideas were discussed and a plan came together, each member of the class volunteered to play a specific role.
The last stop of the day was at Bright Farms, a two-acre hydroponic lettuce and spinach producer located right next to the air park. Gio Papio, head grower, gave the class a tour of the entire property as he explained all aspects of the operation from seeding to harvest to packaging. Bright Farms employs 40 people at its local facility and has five other farms in different states. They pride themselves on sustainable “clean, safe, conscious” farming methods and a mission to make these healthy products available to as many people as possible.
Everyone came away from this day with a deeper appreciation for the creativity and determination that have built up a solid base of industry here in Clinton County. The next and final regular meeting will be on Thursday, March 21, where the theme will be “Education.”
