NEW FLYING PHILOSOPHY — Phil Bender, recently named general manager of the Jefferson County airport, discussed his plans for the airport and its operations during Tuesday afternoon’s meeting of the Community Improvement Corp. in the boardroom at the Ralph Freshwater Terminal. Among those listening were, from left, Ken Perkins, CIC president; Ed Florak, CIC treasurer; and William Blake, CIC past president. - Paul Giannamore

WINTERSVILLE - With the airport being the first thing many visitors see when they arrive in an area, Phil Bender wants to instill a culture of pride and professionalism among the crews at the Jefferson County Air Park.

Bender, who recently was named the airport's general manager, spoke to the board of trustees of the Community Improvement Corp. during their June session, held Tuesday at the airport's Ralph Freshwater Terminal.

Bender, who flew for the Ohio State Highway Patrol during his career, told the trustees of a case where a businessman moved his plant into Zanesville because of the attitude of one person involved with the Muskingum County Airport. Bender said the businessman told him that the driver from the airport was so proud of his community that he convinced the man to move his factory.

"I know somewhere along the line, we will see that person walk in here," Bender said. "The airport is the first thing they see, and the first impression has to be good."

He said the airport also is anticipating handling overflow traffic from the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh in September.

He said 28 of the airport's 32 hangars have planes in them and he doesn't find the current policy of rental of some hangar space for storage of vehicles to be acceptable.

"I want an airplane in every hangar. We plan on staying competitive on fuel prices and, if you base your plane here, we'll give a 5 percent discount on fuel," he said.

Bender noted 16 businesses that operate at the airport and its industrial park, not counting many planes that are owned by local businesses and flown out of the airport.

"It is an economic engine here that many people do not realize exists," he said. Bender said the county paid about $1 million decades ago for the airport and the investment is making returns to the local economy.

The trustees also heard a presentation from Kathy Derheimer, a business services representative from the Ohio Department of Development, who explained her role in helping with economic development. She said the state placed 25 former state employment representatives into the positions to market state development programs to service communities, economic developers and industries.

Ed Looman, executive director of Progress Alliance, the economic development organization run by the CIC, updated the board about the July 16 Pittsburgh Business Times Corridors of Opportunity program to be held at the Serbian-American Cultural Center in Weirton as a joint project with the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle, as well as an updated resource guide being developed by the Herald-Star to debut at the event.

Looman said efforts are continuing to update and implement the Jefferson County Community Investment Plan, which was presented to the Ohio Department of Development last fall. He said a group of about a dozen representatives of organizations involved in the plan meet monthly and are preparing reports on what's been done so far in the plan.

Looman also reported on a May meeting with executives of Severstal regarding the future of its local steel mills. Looman said if the company's orders pick up, some units will be restarted, though it is anticipated that the Mingo Junction plant will be used more as a mini-mill producer of steel, centered around the operation of the Electric Arc Furnace.

"It will not be what it used to be," he said. Still, Looman said Severstal is planning possible "significant investments in Jefferson County" and said officials stressed the steelmaker "is not walking away from Jefferson County."

Looman said he also made it clear that if some units aren't going to be returned to production that, when those decisions are made, Progress Alliance wants to market the property for future industrial use.

"We get a lot of inquiries for property on the river, and right now, we do not have it," he said.

(Giannamore can be contacted at pgiannamore@heraldstaronline.com.)