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us . Departmen t o f Assistan t Secretar y 120 0 Ne w Jersey Avenue , SE Transportatio n Washington , D C 2059 0 Offic e o f th e Secretar

y o f Transportatio n 

### SE P 0 9 201 1 Mr . Mar k W . Lope r b^ ] President/Chief

Executiv e Office

r i o AZCOInc . ° ° P.O . Bo x 56 7 > .-^ _ Appleton,W I 54912-056 7 „ o c5^^^ \ ;^> - ;--< • 

### Dea r Mr . Loper : T O 

### Than k yo u fo r you r lette r to Secretar

y LaHoo dsupporting th e proposa l submitte db

y th e Outagamie Count

y Regiona l Airpor t fo r agran t unde r th e Smal l Communit

y Ai r Servic e Developmen

t Progra m(Small Commimit

y Program) . Th

e Secretar y ha s askedtha

t I respon d on hi s behal f Th e Smal l Conmiimit

y Progra mwa s establishe dto hel

p smalle r communitie s addres s ai

r servic e deficiencies , particularly issue s relate dto high airfare s an dinsufficien

t service . Unde r th e statute , th e Departmen

t ma y us e th e funds to mak

e amaximu

mo f 4 0 gran t award s eac h year , although n o mor

e tha n fou r ma y b e t o communitie s i

n the sam e State . I n orde r t o provide communitie s wit

h latitude i n developing solution s to their ai r servic e deficiencies , th e statut

e provide s significan

t flexibility i

n how th e financial assistanc e ma y b e used . O n Jul y 1 , th e Departmen

t issue d a n orde r requestin g tha

t communitie s intereste di

n receiving agran

t thi s yea r file their application s b

y Augus t 2 . A s thes e gran

t request s ar

e pending befor

e th e Department , I a

msur e you understandtha

t I cannot commen t on th e merit s of an y particula r proposal . I assur

e you , however , tha

t th e Departmen

t will give ful l consideratio n to all proposal s tha t hav e bee n properly filed. A s i s ou r norma l practice , I a

mplacin g acopy of

you r lette r an dthi s respons e in Docke

t DOT-OST-2011-011 9 a s acontac t outside th e recor

dof thi s matter . I appreciat

e you r interes t i n thi s program . If

I ca n provide furthe

r information o

r assistance , pleas e fee

l fre e to cal l me . Sincerel y yours .

Susa n L . Kurlan

d Assistan t Secretar y fo r Aviatio n andInternationa

l Affair s28-01 8

Jul y 21 , 201 1 Th e Honorabl e Ra

y LaHoo d Secretar y U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n 40 0 / " Street , S

W Roo m 1020 0 Washington , D.C . 2059 0 Dea rSecretar

y LaHood : AZC O INC . strongl y support s th e Outagami e Count y Regiona l Airport' s (ATW ) Smal l Communit y Ai rServic e Developmen t Grant , whic h wil l allo w fo rne w an d improve d service . Th e success o f ai rservic e contribute s greatl y t o th e economi c vitalit y o f th e Fo x Cities . Qualit y ai rservic e aid s ou reconom y throug h improve d acces s fo rvisitors , touris m an d i s vita l t o busines s growt h an d retention . We suppor

t Outagami e County Regiona l Airport' s pla n t o attrac t ne w servic e int o th e market . Th e airport' s recen t effort s t o buil d stron g busines s communit y support fo rai rservic e developmen t have bee n impressiv e an d are critica l t o long-ter m success . Th e increase d exposure iJvit h th e hel p o f 201 0 Smal l Community Ai rService Gran t wa s successfu l i n drivin g th e awarenes s o f flyin g locally . AZC O look s forwar d t o continuin g t o partne rwit h th e airpor t i n solidifyin g loca l busines s partnership s an d promotin g th e airport . Ou rCommunity wil l suffe ra s a resul t o f th e loss o f Unite d Airlin e non-sto p fligh t t o Denve r durin g th e economi c downtur n an d th e recen t announcemen t o f Frontie rAirline s tha t thei r service t o Milwauke e wil l b e discontinue d thi s September . Thes e seat s wer e critica l an d w e nee d t o backfil l th e los t capacity . Althoug h ATW' s messag e o f "fl y local " resonate d wit h th e communit y th e effectivenes s i s hindere d wit h thi s los s o f servic e whic h force s u s t o driv e t o othe rairports . Ou rfir m i n particula rbenefit s considerabl y fro m th e convenienc e o f ai rtrave l fro m ATW . W e ar e a nationa l contracto rperformin g wor k o n bot h coast

s an d throughou t th e Uppe rMidwest . Ou rsupervisio n an d managemen t team s fl y weekl y fro m ATW . Havin g t o trave l t o Gree n Ba y o r Milwauke e t o reac h destination s add s considerabl e expens e i n tim e an d cost s fo rou r personnel . Wit h considerabl e wor k i n Pueblo , Colorad o th e las t thre e years , th e los s o f th e non sto p o n Unite d t o Denve rha s bee n extremel y limitin g t o ou rbusiness . Th e departur e o f Frontie ri n a fe w week

s reduce s ou roptions .

AZC O INC . Mailin g Address : RO . Bo x (567 . Appleton . Wisconsi n 54912-0S6 7 • Shippin g Address : 80 6 Valle y Road , Menasho . W l 5495 2 v.w,i,azai-irK:,co m • Plione : QiO-Ti^-GTO l • Fax: 920-7.54-74,';' 2• * 

### .'28-01 8

Please accep t ou rsupport o f th e Outagami e Count y Regiona l Airport' s gran t reques t fo rfund s t o b e use d t o supplemen t loca l fund s t o support ne w ai rservice . Sincerely , Mar k W . Lope r President , CE

O AZC O INC .