U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation



### James W. Johnson President Pierce Manufacturing Inc. 2600 American Drive P.O. Box 2017 Appleton, WI**54912~20** 

### 17

Dear Mr. Johnson: Assistant Secretary



### July 3, 2012 

## ?8

Thank you for your lette1· addressed to Secretary LaHood supporting 

### the proposal submitted by theOutagamie County Airport fbr a grant under the U.S. Department ofTransportation's Small Community Air Service Development Progrant The Secretary has requested that I 

### respond on his 

### behalf.
The Small Community Air ServiceDevelopment .Program was established to help smaller communities address air service deficiencies, pruticularly.issues related to high airfares or insufficient service. Under the statute, the Department may make a ma..ximum of40 grru1t awards each yearf althmtgh no more than 4 awards may be to communities in the same State. In order to provide communities with latitude in developing solutions to their air service deficiencies, the statute provides flexibility in the types ofprojects that can be funded.
On May 

### 15, the Department issued an order requesting that communities interested in receiving a grant this year file their appli<.:ations by 

### June 11. As 

### these grant requests are pending 

### before the 

### Department, I cannot comment on the merits ofany particular proposaL I assure you that the Department wil.l give full and fair consideration to all proposals that have been properly filed.
As is our normal practice, I am placing a copy ofyour letter and this response in Docket DOT-OST-20 12*0069 

### as a contact outside the record ofthis. matter. I appreciate your interest in this program. Sincerely yours.

Susan L. Kurland Assistant Secretary for Aviation ru1d International A tTairsPierce Monutac1urlng Inc.

2600 AMERICAN DRIVE POST OFFICE BOX 2017 APPLETON, WISCONS!N 54912-2017 92().832-3000 '" FAX**920-8~2·3200** www.plercemfg.com

June 8, 2012

The Honorable Ray LaHood Secretary U.S. Department ofTransportation 400 7th Street, SW Room 10200 Washington, D.C. 20590
RE: GrantApplication ofA1W
Dear Secretary LaHood:
I am writing to !SUPPort the application Qfthe Outagamie CountyAirport (ATW) in Appfeton,WJSoonsin for a 

### Srnedl CommunitY 

### Air Service**O~elopment** Grant 

### I share the airport's goal 

### ofattractlng affordable and convenient air 

### service to our**communi~. h~lping**  foster business and industry growth.
Ccmmeroiat 

### air service atATW 

### is sUffering 

### afterthe lo.as 

### of United Airline':s 

### direct flight 

### to Denver during this economic downturn; aswell as Frontier Airline's dlsoontittuation ofservice to MilWaukee. These seats were critical in ourmarket and we need to backfilt the lost capacity.
A

TW is vital 

### to our business. Pierce typically attracts over 10,000 unique visits to the Appleton, Wisconsin area eaoh year by our customers and·vendors. The loss ofseats andthe escalating airfares have a detrimental impaCt on our business, which fn tum detracts from 

### the economic impactwe can make in the community.
Access toaffordable transportation is crucial to industry growth, especially in a community the stze·of Appleton. ATWsgrant reque$t offers a unique opportunity to fundamentalfv !.ower airline operating costs in this market. Lower operating costs for airlines will help stabilize existing service and offer ()pportunitles 

### to grow service, unllke**t~aditloqal** revenue**guarantee~.** . ':



## . . Air•ntice**pt~ys** 

### apivotal role In addressing'**th~**tt'$nsportation needs 

### of ou'" community, benefiting not only the City 

### ofAppleton a.nd**Outag~ie** County, 

### but aft 

### of**norttt~ast**Wisconsin. A 

### key ingredienUn building 

### a strong andvibrari,t economy Is competitive**~ir** S$Vice ;2nd access to the global marketplace.

• ' ;; : $**~,** ' 

### We

## rec~nfze the·'lmportancr:iof

### qualitY

## eom~er~ial air service to the economy through Improved access for visitors, and· most import!!lntly, 

### tCJ support**ar~a** businesses, organiZation$ andinstitutions. I ask thatyou give this grant applioatiQnyour m0$tthoughffol and serious oonsideration.**Sin~ly,**