Ground broken on new air park (with photos)

The bright late-winter sun glinted off an array of gold shovels as the ground was broken Friday morning for the Crestview Technology Air Park, the newest economic generator to come to the Crestview Bob Sikes Airport.

Click here to view photo gallery.

Bob Keller’s Sunshine Aero, a 30-year presence at the airport, joined with businessman Paul Hsu to make the air park a reality. Keller’s flight-testing business had been in quest of a new home at the airport since Sunshine Aero lost the county contract as the airport’s fixed-base operator. Emerald Coast Aviation took over the position in January 2009.

Several years ago, Hsu had acquired a multi-acre forested parcel of land at the northern end of the airport’s 8,000-foot runway and was in search of a compatible enterprise to put on it. Kismet-like, Hsu and Keller met and 25 high-paying aerospace industry jobs were retained for the airport, with the promise of 10 more to come.

Bringing the two men’s converging projects to fruition required more than two years of negotiation between private enterprise and county, airport and state officials, as well as the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce. Instrumental was the Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County.

“This is evidence of the growth of Crestview,” said EDC president Larry Sassano, noting the city was recently recognized as the seventh best small city for high-tech manufacturing in the country.

“This is the day that I personally have been waiting for four years,” said Hsu as he, Keller and assembled local and county officials prepared to man their shovels.

“The times have been tough, but I have been blessed with the most incredible community in Crestview in Okaloosa County,” praised Hsu. “Without the support of the community, we could not have done this,” he said, waving his hand across the cleared land that will soon house Sunshine Aero’s 33,000-square foot hangar and offices. Site plans call for future development of two more hangars and a three-story office building.

“We will continue to create quality jobs that create quality growth for the city of Crestview,” Hsu promised.

“We worked hard at this business. It is heartwarming to me to see this kind of help from the community to keep a company here and provide jobs,” Keller said. “We provide a unique service to Eglin and the United States. I’m really proud of what we do.”

Keller expressed his gratitude to county airports director Greg Donovan for introducing him to Hsu, beginning the process that led to Friday’s ceremony.

“This community, and especially our airport, is certainly a jewel,” Donovan said.

He praised Okaloosa County commissioners for the planning and foresight that has allowed the airport room to offer aerospace industry prime locations in proximity to the airport runway and taxiway. The taxiway will be extended north to reach the site of Sunshine Aero’s new hangar and offices.

“The residents of Crestview and the surrounding communities will be the direct beneficiaries of the opportunities coming here,” remarked Crestview Mayor David Cadle.

County Commissioner Wayne Harris offered credit to the late U.S. Rep. Bob Sikes, for whom the airport was named, and Crestview business pioneers such as Foy Shaw, who was among guests at the ceremony, for their foresight in developing the airport.

“Those folks had significant vision,” Harris said.

County Commissioner Bill Roberts praised the fine weather, joking, “I think I speak for the rest of the board when I say we like being in the sunshine,” a reference to the state’s “Sunshine Laws.” Becoming serious, he added, “The success of this groundbreaking is going to help others recognize the potential here.”

Clearing the forested site proved problematic when the operator of a new bulldozer purchased for the task drove the machine into a soft spot and it sank up to its seat, related retired Gen. Bill Kirk, now active in local aerospace efforts. When the bulldozer was pulled from its sinkhole, Hsu asked Kirk to operate it.

Recalling the situation, Hsu garnered laughs when he said, “For the first time in my life I saw a four-star general riding a bulldozer.”

“‘If you can fly an F-16, you can drive that bulldozer,’” Kirk said Hsu told him. “Paul had the foresight to see there’s a lot of potential here. I didn’t then as a dumb bulldozer driver, but I do now. I understand the foresight it took from Bob Keller and Paul Hsu to accomplish this.”

Sunshine Aero’s new facility will be built by Design & Build, of Fort Walton Beach, from designs by Avcon Engineers and Planners of Niceville. Completion is scheduled for mid-July.

“We want to keep the money locally in Okaloosa County,” explained Hsu.

“This endeavor, and for Bob [Keller] to be able to continue his work here, and with a partner as incredible as Paul Hsu, this is the beginning of more wonderful things out here,” observed Crestview City Councilwoman Linda Parker, who is chairwoman of the airport enterprise zone committee.

“Dr. Hsu and Bob Keller are an asset to our community,” Parker said. “In good times and bad, Bob has always been here for our airport.”

Sassano credited the enterprise zone for creating a business climate that has generated jobs through companies such as NEW, a call center operator whose Crestview location is about to expand to more than 500 employees. Of more than 20 NEW call centers around the nation, the Crestview location is credited with having the least employee turnover.

The same enterprise zone also spurred the partnership between Hsu and Keller, allowing one of the Bob Sikes Airports’ oldest presences to remain.

“They could have gone easily to Alabama,” Sassano said, “and taken those jobs with them.”