On the move: front economic development to workforce, North Carolina's transportation industry keeps the state's economy rolling.

• Position: TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS ROUND TABLE

Stan Kelly

president & CEO, Piedmont Triad Partnership

Scott Saylor

president, North Carolina Railroad Company

Crystal Collins

president, North Carolina Trucking Association

Bobby L. Walston

Aviation director, N.C. Department of Transportation

Kevin Baker

executive director, Piedmont Triad International Airport Authority

Paul Worley

raid director, N.C. Department of Transportation

THERE HAS BEEN A NEED TO MOVE GOODS TO MARKET SINCE COMMERCE'S FIRST TRANSACTION.

While transportation has been there every mile, the industry's role has grown beyond simple delivery. It has become a vital cog in economic development.

Its availability, for example, can determine where companies relocate and how workers get to their jobs. Business North Carolina magazine recently gathered a panel of transportation insiders to discuss why the industry is important to the state's economy and what it needs to keep chugging along.

The discussion was moderated by Ben Kinney, Business North Carolina publisher, and held at the Amtrak Station in Durham. The North Carolina Railroad and Piedmont Triad International Airport provided support. The transcript was edited for brevity and clarity.

HOW BIG IS THE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY'S ECONOMIC ROLE?

KELLY Transportation is essential for job creation. The Piedmont Triad region added about 25,000 jobs in 2015. That success was dependent on transportation. Our system of roads allows about 83,000 people to travel to Guilford County from surrounding counties every weekday. When you look at the industry through a different lens, airports can be seen as large industrial parks. There are about 5,000 employees who work at Piedmont Triad International Airport and 8,000 more in the region who are connected to aviation in some way. The industry brings business from many directions, whether it's the modes of transportation themselves or manufacturing and supporting them.

BAKER PTI is the third largest airport in the state based on the number of passengers. It handled more than 80,000 in October. It has more aviation-industry employees than any airport in the state. That's thanks to companies, such as [Greensboro-based] Honda Aircraft Co. and [Memphis, Tenn.-based] FedEx Corp. that have operations at the airport.

WALSTON Aviation has changed greatly since the Wright Brothers made their historic flight at Kitty Hawk more than 100 years ago. There's more awareness of its value. Airports support jobs and attract businesses. A 2013 study found that the state's 72 airports--from the largest, Charlotte Douglas International Airport, to the smallest rural county airport--annually add $26 billion to the state's economy. They are relatively low-cost investments when compared to their returns. Kevin and I sit on Gov. McCrory's Aviation Development Task Force. It was assembled in May 2014 and recommends aviation program enhancements to the N.C. Secretary of Transportation.

HOW...