All for one: cooperation among Piedmont Triad officials and economic Developers is making the region's economy stronger and quality of life better.

• Author: Wood, Suzanne
• Position: REGIONAL REPORT: PIEDMONT TRIAD

Most local and regional economic-development agencies are staffed with generalists. They assist site-selection consultants and corporate executives from a number of industries. Economic-development specialists, on the other hand, usually work for statewide efforts such as Cary-based Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Inc.

That distinction is blurred at Greensboro Chamber of Commerce. It recently created an economic-development position that's dedicated to the aviation and aerospace industry. It is funded by the Chamber, Greensboro-based economic booster Piedmont Triad Partnership, Piedmont Triad International Airport, High Point Economic Development Corp. and Winston-Salem Business Inc., says Penny Whiteheart, Piedmont Triad Partnership executive vice president. Jim McArthur, an aviation and advanced manufacturing expert who most recently worked with the Mississippi Development Authority, is that developer.

The position speaks to the importance of the aviation and aerospace industry to the Piedmont Triad. But it also is telling of the cooperation that exists among the region's leaders to improve the economy and quality of life in its 12 counties. That spirit also can be seen in Guilford County Economic Development Alliance, which consists of Guilford County and its two largest municipalities--Greensboro and High Point--Greensboro Chamber and High Point Economic Development Corp. It was created last year and recently honored by the Washington, D.C.-based International Economic Development Council for its regional ism and cross-border cooperation. Loren Hill, president of High Point EDC, says the Alliance was born from a simple reason: He says more companies are working within regions, not municipalities. Providing a one-stop shop supports that. "They don't like to feel like they're being passed off from one economic-development agency to another'

Although McArthur is based in Greensboro, he represents the region when speaking to aviation and aerospace executives. His team hopes to build on the success at PTI, which in addition to handling almost 850,000 passengers in 2016 is home to the region's largest concentration of aviation and aerospace jobs--about 5,000. Some support workforce development. Jamestown-based Guilford Technical Community College, for example, has 143,000 square feet of training space at the airport, where students prepare for aviation careers, from maintaining to piloting aircraft. Others work at companies, including Memphis, Tenn.-based FedEx Corp.'s hub, and more recent tenants such as Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft Co. It employs about 1,700 people and received an FAA production certificate for its Hondajet last year, clearing the way for customer delivery. Honda Aircraft estimates it will produce 60 per year.

A 2016 report prepared for Guilford County by New York-based Development Counsellors International and Fayetteville, Ga.-based Garner Economics LLC affirmed Triad leaders' aviation focus. It says "the region has the right mix of development-ready land, the right workforce and strong training programs for aviation companies to grow and thrive." PTI has room to grow. Nearly 1,000 acres of development-ready land will be connected to PTI's runways when a $176.5 million 2,000-foot taxiway, complete with 280-foot bridge across Interstate 73, opens this summer.

One of the region's fastest-growing aviation companies is Greensboro-based HAECO Americas. It provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services, and manufactures aerospace products for military and civilian customers. It's adding about 650 jobs and investing $71.3 million at two locations...