AIRPORT SEEKS WIDER BASE OF OPERATIONS

Imagine an aviation hub so ideally located, the sky seems limitless. And the strange thing is, virtually nobody knows about it.

Can't be?

Try telling that to Cape Girardeau Airport Manager Randy Holdman, who believes he is sitting on top of a treasure chest just waiting to be pried open.

In fact, Holdman thinks once he inserts the first "piece of the puzzle," the five-mile sky that serves as his office ceiling will be buzzing with activity.

Holdman, at the behest of Aviatian Business Consultant William F. Florich, has provided input for a questionaire that could lead to a wider base of operation at the Cape airport.

"I sent Florich a marketing video that stressed general avaiation at our operation and what we could provide and he responded to that by putting together a questionaire," said Holdman.

"There is so much potential to expand," said Holdman. "It's sort of like a puzzle. Once we get that first piece in place, it will be that much easier to attract new businesses and who knows from there."

Florich has sent 200 flyers to businesses that employ corporate aviation services. The return address is P.O. Box 510, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702,0510.

Wrote Florich in his questionaire,"The Cape Girardeau Airport management has initiated a concentrated effort to attract businesses and their attendant corporate aviation activities. In support of their efforts, I am conducting a market survey for potential clients and possible investors interested in financing an Executive Fixed Base Operation (FBO) facility at the Cape Girardeau Airport that would specialize in providing quality service for regional customers as well as cross-country aviators in need of first class services."

If a prospective executive aviation client checks the box indicating he or she is interested, there are additional options that can selected including 24-hour ramp services, baggage assistance, car rentals, limousine service, dining and catering, concierge services, full maintenance, weather/flight planning, a pilot's lounge, quick-turn, etc.

"The market is already out there," said Holdman. "And it's not just executive aviation activities that could be interested in using our airport."

Indeed, Holdman pointed to the increased use of Airborne, Federal Express and other air-efficient companies, along with the move by businesses to adopt zero inventory as reasons for getting the word out.

"Companies are keeping just the amount of stock they think they can sell with little or no surplus," he said. "That means when there is a big demand for something, getting it there as fast as possible is essential to the company's ability to grow."

Another potential customer could be the military, which is going to rely more heavily on servicing its planes now that old ones are being refurbished in lieu of building new ones.

"If you just look at an overhead shot of our airport, you'd see railroads on three sides along with the Port Authority and highways," he said. "If a cross-country customer from New York and Los Angeles knew that we were an alternative to Lambert Airport in St. Louis or the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, they might want to use us," said Holdman. "Here they could get serviced quicker and receive whatever attention they wanted according to the needs of their company. It would help us upgrade our operation because we would then be using state-of-the-art equipment to accomodate our executive customers."

Holdman indicated the time to act on such an opportunity is now. "We've got something we feel we can offer a lot of companies, but there's an Air Force base in Blytheville,Ky., that's closed right now," he said. "Somebody might be trying to get that opened for commercial use to attract the same customers we're looking at."

Holdman said he expects to learn how much interest Florich's survey has attracted in the next several weeks.