Sandusky County Regional Airport

Positioned for Growth in Ohio’s Manufacturing Heartland

This Thriving Airport is Ready to Capitalize on Northwest Ohio’s Booming Industrial Economy.

Sandusky County Regional Airport sits on prime real estate in Clyde, Ohio, just five nautical miles southeast of Fremont and within easy reach of Lake Erie’s shoreline and Cedar Point, the nation’s second-oldest amusement park. The facility is a critical link in Northwest Ohio’s manufacturing corridor, where over 1,700 companies generate $11.6 billion in regional economic output. With a 100-by-5,500-foot runway in excellent condition and a 35-foot base, the airport maintains infrastructure that rivals facilities serving much larger populations. The recent $1.6 million apron reconstruction, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation in May 2022, emphasizes the strategic investment in keeping the facility competitive.

“We have general aviation hangars and commercial hangar space available that’s heated,” Rich Farmer, vice president of the board, explains. “We do have two life flight medical helicopters on site.” The airport processes approximately 300 to 350 corporate aircraft operations annually, primarily serving manufacturing giants like Whirlpool and Heinz. Whirlpool’s Clyde facility, the world’s largest washing machine plant, recently secured a $300 million expansion that will add up to 600 jobs. These industrial anchors drive consistent corporate traffic, with executives flying in regularly for plant operations and business meetings.

The airport currently lacks avionics or maintenance facilities, but Farmer sees opportunity rather than limitation. “We are interested in pursuing them if somebody is looking for an opportunity, whether that’s with hangar space or ground lease to build a hangar,” he says. “All of that is available.” With 24-hour fuel service, an automated weather observation system, and precision approach path indicator lights, the airport delivers essential services while positioning itself for expansion in an underserved market.

Corporate Traffic and Regional Integration

The airport’s corporate aviation traffic signifies Sandusky County’s position as a recognized hub for business investment. Site Selection Magazine has named Fremont-Sandusky County among the nation’s Top 50 Micropolitan areas for multiple consecutive years, a distinction that attracts companies seeking strategic locations with access to major markets. The region’s manufacturing base generates steady demand for executive travel, with corporate aircraft serving as vital business tools rather than luxury amenities.

“We do have a fair amount, and I guess for our region we have a reasonable amount of corporate traffic,” Farmer notes. “We have some plants that have local factories and plants that have people that come in and out. Whirlpool have people that come in and out fairly often. We have people that come in and out for Heinz, some of the industrial stuff that’s around here.” The pattern aligns with broader economic development trends, as Northwest Ohio’s advanced manufacturing sector employs 130,000 workers across diverse industries.

A new industrial park under construction near the airport promises to amplify this traffic. “The airport was originally built with the concept that as the environment around it grew, we were able to take care of those people,” Farmer explains. “As those things develop, we’re hoping that our corporate traffic picks up as well.” The timing proves advantageous, as the general aviation market grows at 4.6 percent annually and is projected to reach $47.1 billion by 2033.

Tourism is another growth avenue, particularly given the airport’s proximity to Cedar Point’s 364 acres of attractions and Lake Erie’s recreational opportunities. Farmer acknowledges the potential: “Our goal is to make it an economic driver.”

Volunteer Leadership with Aviation Passion

The airport operates under a governance model that defies typical expectations for public facilities. The entire six-member board serves on a volunteer basis, bringing diverse expertise to guide strategic decisions. “Our entire board is volunteers,” Farmer confirms. “A couple of us are independent business owners of different levels. We have a finance guy who is in the banking business, and we have a regulation guy who has just a vast knowledge of the FAA regulations.” This multidisciplinary approach ensures the airport benefits from professional perspectives across operations, compliance, and fiscal management.

Farmer himself holds a private pilot certificate, a credential that informs his understanding of the facility’s role in the broader aviation ecosystem. “I just thoroughly enjoy flight. I enjoy being able to go and travel, and I feel like it’s one of the last true freedoms of America that you can get up, you can explore, you get to see other pieces of the country and do other things,” he says. The practical benefits go beyond recreation. “For us as a business owner, it has a benefit to be able to go meet people and get business meetings done that otherwise would take a lot harder planning or travel.”

The board’s operational expertise deepens with its airport manager’s credentials. “He retired from military service and has come to work with us in the private sector,” Farmer explains. “That’s worked out very well.” The combination of volunteer leadership and professional management creates a lean operational structure focused on practical outcomes. “Our goal is to grow and to expand on what is there,” Farmer adds. “We have a very nice facility to work with, a nice foundation.”

Recent Upgrades and Infrastructure Roadmap

While many regional airports struggle with deferred maintenance and capital shortfalls, Sandusky County Regional Airport operates from a position of relative strength. The facility recently completed significant infrastructure improvements, positioning it ahead of many competing airports that face mounting repair backlogs. “We just had our apron redone about two years ago,” Farmer says. The $1.6 million federal investment in Apron A reconstruction, supplemented by Ohio Department of Transportation funding, addressed a critical component of the airport’s ground infrastructure.

The board works with a consulting company to prioritize future projects systematically. “We’ve just put a top five thing together on upgrades,” Farmer explains. “It looks like our taxiway is probably going to be the next thing that we resurface. Everything else is in very, very good condition.” The planned taxiway work includes reconfiguring the ramp area to meet updated Federal Aviation Administration standards. “The FAA doesn’t want the taxiway to lead directly straight into the apron. They want it to kind of turn and turn again,” he notes. “It’s just a regulation thing.”

Recent technology upgrades include a new automated weather observation system. “We got a new AWOS system that just got installed with the weather,” Farmer says. The facility may refresh its FBO lounge area within the next few years, though such improvements rank as aesthetic rather than essential. “We have a very nice airport that doesn’t need a whole lot,” he observes. The condition contrasts with facilities requiring runway replacements or terminal renovations, giving Sandusky County flexibility to focus resources on growth initiatives rather than basic maintenance.

Available Space and Investment Opportunities

The airport maintains two 10,000-square-foot heated hangars, a significant asset in a market where general aviation operators increasingly demand climate-controlled facilities. Each hangar currently houses one of two life flight medical helicopters, occupying 5,000 square feet per unit. The arrangement leaves substantial available space for commercial tenants. “Each helicopter occupies 5,000 feet of each space,” Farmer clarifies, meaning both hangars offer 5,000 square feet of immediately leasable area. The heated capacity provides year-round operational capability, particularly valuable for corporate operators in Ohio’s variable climate.

Aside from existing structures, the airport offers flexible arrangements for expansion. “We would offer it to private investment first,” Farmer says. “If somebody would like to construct hangar space, whether that’s for general aviation or commercial, we would offer them a very attractive land lease.” The board remains open to direct construction under specific conditions. “We are not opposed to building hangars and funding the construction of those with the right situation. If we had a corporate tenant with a long-term lease or something to that nature, we would certainly explore that.”

“We got a couple ways we could explore that,” Farmer notes. “One way we could explore that through our internal budget and the other way we could explore that is we have some private investors in the area that would be interested providing we brought them the right deal.” The existing T-hangar capacity has reached its limit, creating immediate demand for additional units. “We are at capacity in T-hangar space,” he confirms. The combination of available heated commercial space and development-ready land positions the airport to accommodate diverse aviation operations.

Charter Service, Flight School, and Aviation Services

The airport’s development strategy centers on attracting private investment to fill service gaps. Charter operations top the wish list, though no active negotiations currently exist. “We are not in talks with anyone currently,” Farmer acknowledges. The three-to-five-year timeline for establishing charter service suggests realistic expectations in an industry where air taxi and charter services are one of the fastest-growing segments. General aviation market projections show this sector expanding significantly as businesses seek alternatives to commercial airline schedules and routes.

Flight school operations are another opportunity. “If we could potentially get a flight school up and going, if there’s somebody that would be interested, those types of things,” Farmer says. County funding limitations shape the approach. “We’re county based, so the county’s not going to be like, we’re going to get county dollars to go out and put a flight school in. They’re not going to allow us to fund a flight school or that kind of thing. It would all need to be private investment.”

Avionics and maintenance facilities remain absent from the current service mix, creating potential for aviation businesses seeking market entry. The board prioritizes immediate opportunities while remaining flexible about sequencing. “Now that we have our lease arrangements settled with our medical helicopters, we would move forward in attaining some tenants for the remaining spaces in those hangars,” Farmer explains. “We have 10,000 square feet of heated available hangar space currently, which is in two 5,000-foot segments. Our main priority would be to get those handled and rent them as soon as possible.”

Farmer’s pragmatic assessment captures the airport’s philosophy: “There’s not one thing that takes precedence over the other, it’s everything in the pie, and it’s just a matter of which piece of the pie we can get moving first.” With solid infrastructure, available space, and a region poised for continued manufacturing expansion, Sandusky County Regional Airport stands ready to convert potential into operational growth. The foundation is built. Now comes the execution.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Sandusky County Regional Airport

What: County-owned public-use general aviation airport with 5,500-foot runway, heated hangar space, 24-hour fuel services, and life flight operations

Where: Clyde, OH

Website: www.sanduskycountyairport.com