good morning representing the future pilots of america we warmly welcome all of you to the west michigan regional airport groundbreaking ceremony members we certainly want to welcome you here in this grand celebration of a day for us you know for weather if you're like me you love when a plan comes together and so as i was just looking at some of the documents when we were looking to form the airport authority back in the middle two thousand two thousand and seven is when we actually form the authority i came across a document that was a capital improvement plan for the city airport at that particular time this is dated june twenty two thousand and five and number two on our list was a terminal building in today we're seeing the building airport business center come to fruition in so it's just a wonderful to see long term planning efforts from not only the board but those that preceded us again come to fruition there are a lot to people to thank for getting us for getting us to this point today in quite honestly all of you that are here probably played a role in that we don't want to forget anybody and so just on behalf of the air port authority board to thank all of you that are here you'll hear from some speakers today but just from the bottom of our hearts thank you for playing a role in all of this we do want to thank you and so i'm not going to name individuals quite honestly just for fear that we might miss someone you all have to know that you've played a role in this in we thank you for that now i'm going to go off script a little bit when i said i wasn't in a name individuals  name just a few so bruce wakeman wes moore airport or west shore aviation just put your hand up here a minute bruce was on our board he's actually been gracious enough to allow greg to have some former representative joe have and we don't know if he can make it or not did we see joe or not we owe a big debt of gratitude for him for the funding that he was able to bring to us so we could see this day come together so again we want to think joel for that and then all the contributors we've had a number of contributors towards this project we want to thank all of them for their work on that and again you've helped us get to this particular point at this point time i'm going to turn it over to greg robinson greg's going to walk you through the project and then i'll take it back over and introduce some of the speakers so gre you good morning everyone thank you for being here to mention what a beautiful day and we are just so happy not only have you here but two as you can see to be under construction a project we've talked about for quite a long time and to be finally here is just really rewarding for us and we know it will be long term for the community and as we construct year what really is going to be just a top notch gateway to this community let me just explain what is behind me here so right now it looks like a dirt you see the equipment that has been working actually we've got a head start on the ground breaking ceremony we started this about three to four weeks ago moving dirt on the site so behind me this area here  this area here will be our new aircraft apron so we have a holder of the flag now so right this is really the largest part of the project both an area in and cost so you can get a feel right now for what that might look like or the area it might entail it's being constructed this portion of the project the apron where the aircraft will move to get to the new business center and will be parked in front of the business center we need quite a large area for that that's what will be here mill bachar and sons is our contractor for that portion of the project they're also doing the overall site work in the parking lot for the project as well so what you see back here right here immediately behind me that will be the new aircraft apron over this way if you get a chance when you're walking past the row back to your vehicles there is a long is staked that's where the building is going to be be about a seventy five hundred square foot building what we're calling our business center our welcome center that will be in the area that is staged and then just north of that  that will be the parking area and a significant improvement over what we have now so those are the elements of the project the building is being constructed by cel construction it was designed by progressive eighty and actually the design work for apron site work was done by our report consultants meetin hunt so all those elements of come together to make this project happen the schedule is we hope to be working on the site the site work until about mid november the building work on that is beginning this week and that will take place throughout the winter we're hoping everything will be done by august of two thousand and sixteen so that's where can we give a hand to greg to be the last to look for any special recognition quite honestly but i'm not sure the airport authority would be where we're at with zero drinks leadership both you very much it's great to be here today god has blessed us with a wonderful day this is really an exciting occasion and it's great to see so many people who here who have supported the cause i spent this last weekend up at mackinaw island and what makes me so charming is that there remind you of old intake days where shipping was a very important the great lakes certainly had a great impact on michigan's economy throughout the eighteenth nineteenth and even the beginning of the twentieth centuries access to water was what was vital to economic success at the beginning of the twenty first century though access to air is what propels economies forward this new business and welcome center is not only an important but necessary for west michigan to be a global leader now and into the future aviation's total global economic impact is estimated to be at three trillion per year eight percent of the world's gross domestic product twenty five percent of all companies sales are dependent upon air transport and seventy percent of businesses are port that serving a bigger market is key benefit of an air services with increasing involvement in overseas operations our employers and our citizens depend upon a strong air link to those markets building the structure will allow those arriving in and departing from our communities to enter and leave in a modern efficient and convenient facility this project will go west michigan regional airport the caliber of facility that businesses and visitors have come to demand and expect the old ranch house served its purpose well in previous decades but it's time to look forward to the next decade took a real team effort in the legislature to secure the one point three million dollars grant that allowed this project to become a reality represent hofman former represent common you're mentioned earlier but it's great to see that you've arrived he certainly led the charge thank you we also though have a great team effort here in west michigan with the other legislators that kind of picked up where joe left out we have represent amanda pryce who i think used to serve on the airport board and represent danielle garcia and also i don't think roger victories here but and then also senator meek off and i also work very hard to make sure that we could do th so let's give my colleagues a former stand up first time i became aware of it is as you know i got districts transferred but certainly commissioner jim story he along with the airport manager all came up along with a whole group of people and told me how important this is was fo allegheny county formally known as the tulip city airport west michigan regional airport is a joint project of the cities of holland and zealand park and park township it is also a demonstration of progress that can be made when communities pooled their resources and talent to see for a regional solution i know we have a number of local elected officials who have contributed a great deal of that time to ensure there's many including jim story high mentioned earlier and others could i have all the local elected officials stand and be recognized let's give them and also include if you're on the airport board  d so many thanks to the airport staff and general manager for all the hours that they have put in let's give them a round of applause as well what also is great is that this is a community after and we have had great community and corporate partners who are contributing to their product this project heyworth herman miller trans matic and and metal flow an affair give me if i'm missing someone let's give them a round of applause as well this project truly is a demonstration of the progress that can be made when communities pool their resources and their talent to form a regional solution over the last five years michigan has experienced one of the greatest economic recoveries in the nation and west michigan has led the way i know that when businesses and welcome center is completed it will open even more doors for investment growth and opportunity and that should excite everyone thank you again for letting me be here today for this great event and congratulations on reaching this milestone thank you shoemaker and again thank you to the state of michigan and the legislature for all your work on this again we won't be here without you next we're going to hear from greg been worked on who's the district director for congressm thank you thank you for inviting me unfortunately bill could not be here but it's a lovely day and a great event for west michigan just one echo some of the thoughts and comments that were already made about coming together to mention also how this has been on the plan and here in west michigan we always come together on those projects that we see are going to better our community and this is another prime example of public and private partnerships in making these things happen whether it's a state this or hey were scott speak a little bit later in the federal and certainly the local community coming together to make something like this happen were strewn with thankful extremely proud to be a part of it we want to see this area grow we may create more problems for an old dutch guy you know we like to see  things stay the same and when we're going to have a beautiful welcoming center this is kind of the first stop on a lot of people's world stage for when they come into the hollow in the area and they may end up stain so those are some problems that we may have to address later but i think they're good problems and certainly things we can we can work continually together for so thank you so much for all you're doing glad to see this moving forward and again that box checked the long term plan you thank you greg and i will accept that challenge quite honestly next is betsy stardoll she's our state black grant program manager for and got airports division  terminal building here and a prim we've been dealing with programming this project since two thousand and seven with you know every year we me annually from what we call map meeting and that's a michigan airport planning meeting and we were really grateful that we did get some money in the one point three million dollars from the michigan economic development fund so that we could launch this project the terminal building was funded with with strictly state and local funding we put a lot of state apportionment which is actually federal funding into the terminal apron project and then the parking lot and the site work for the terminal was  a combination of their federal non primary and title moments and stay in local funding and so you know we're really excited for for this project here at a really important airport here in michigan so  and i look forward to working more years with the airport authority and i do want to say a special thanks to greg robinson who's who's been you know on the fight from the beginning on getting this project  we certainly want to again thank betsy and her staff greg and ron entire airport consultant mean one can certainly speak to the volumes of hours that they put in reviewing not only our projects but other airports throughout the state as well excitement for mr hayward to get up here we like that very much that shows you his commitment to not only the airport but this area and so mr  well you could tell him it was excited you appeared sort of like speed to market matters and i think i was trying to bump betsy off of our flight up years ago my apologies betsy so it's good to be here today on this important day to continue to build and market the west michigan region and bring us to the world to bring the world more successfully to holland and improve our brand you know earlier this year i had the privilege of speaking at the west coast chamber of vent and the topic was as a global company with very few clients as a percent of our business in the west miscue or why do is hey we're choose to stay here and it's it's these kind of partnership that speaks so well for the west michigan  spoke about many things that were already touched on today that spirit of partnership many hands make light work and the fact that we have both the local and federal level governmental personnel working together that we have the citizen support across those three communities of park township zealand and holland and the businesses trans matic metal flow criminal or they work just to name a few investing in that and that's what allows us i think to punch above our weight class and it makes me so proud to be a part of this community and it's why we continue to choose to be here and have this to be our global headquarters you know we talked about all these wonderful assets that the zealand holland area has here in west michigan work ethic that spirit of partnership trust one of the things that isn't a natural part of our area up to this time and point is easy to get to right relative to other major metropolitan areas there's often at least one additional airport you got to visit and in today's world that can make a difference and this is one tool to help strengthen our us and make us more competitive in that area the world continues to get smaller in terms of time and distance and things like your i phone or your i pad where less technology is helping that but people still matter and people often still need to connect with people and this new space is the next building upon the airport the more us michigan regional airport allows us to do that more successful in we're in a war for talent and so it allows us and for us to with this new facility make a better impression so both knees terms of time and distance but also this first impression with the new facility it's important but not only allows us to bring the world here easier customers from the west coast but it also allows us to bring hey how an around the world are hayworth and my case this is really appropriate that i just landed friday night after a four and a half day visit to europe visiting eight different facilities fifteen different round tables with  employees that we call members three different customers u b s located in swift headquartered in switzerland orangey the largest one of the largest telecom companies in france and this allowed me to meet with those customers and bring what we believe in to our members in europe but also to connect right away with those businesses in europe who are going to do business in north america as well so it is a great two way street with this regional airport allows us to bring customers taylan to us michigan but also allows us to bring west michigan more easily to the world and i'll end up kind of supporting the space itself we know that brand matters first impressions are wonderful downtowns and are getting stronger and zealand and already very strong in holland those kind of things the campus of hope palate world class facilities that we have a trans matic and i'd like to think hayworth so that when other businesses leader leaders business leaders i don't know while in the middle of the country crazy that you guys are really really wonderful we know it but we've got to share that with the world to bring the business and the jobs and keep them here lastly on the space is part of our brand building right this is going to be one more twig in the nasty of the zeal and how in west michigan brand we have so many things to be proud of the natural resources of the great lakes right here and now when they land they're going to you know touch down in a facility that i think really is commensurate with what we deserve as a community to reflect who we are and it's going to start off that first visit as a very good impression and then i know they're going to even feel stronger when they come in and actually meet our people and see what we're made up in our character so i'd like to thank all of the different groups that worked across functions government private agencies businesses in our citizens particular want to thank the citizens of the island park township and how one and i really want to encourage a renewal coming up in about three years give or take we were less than ten votes in holland township and we're very close also in zero in terms of and i would just really and in west machine and most of my forty six years more importantly in this area since two thousand and two very proud of the local government services we offer not only in shining example of those businesses so thank you again about one more hand for not only our future pilots but our flag holders as well thank you for helping us out and so now  it's that time where we're here to do the official groundbreaking not the unofficial one and so if you spoke earlier if you're a board member we'd like you to come up here to i guess my left your right and we will do  i have no no as long as you do you want to say anything about ron other then yeah i mean he is here day and day out his staff there is i want to say never snow on the or is it there probably isn't ever any snow on the runway and that's because of his staff i mean they are just here twenty four seven lights are out all those things but greg why don't you just aired quickly there's probably no one here knows the airport as well as ron all right let's go ahead and go over here