From the moment they arrived, the community of Florence made a strong impression on Beadles and his family.“We felt the southern charm. Everybody’s very pleasant, very kind, and very giving. So that was a big sell for us,” he recalls. The welcoming community was just the beginning. For Beadles, it was the airport’s untapped potential that stood out the most. “I saw the opportunity,” he says. “I thought, I love to learn. So, this is a perfect opportunity for me to step in and make this happen.” A REGIONAL ASSET READY FOR TAKEOFF Governed by the Pee Dee Regional Airport District, Florence Regional is a Part 139 commercial service airport, currently offering three daily flights with American Airlines to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. “We really appreciate our relationship with American Airlines but we’re hoping to expand to include other airlines as well, hopefully this year,” Beadles shares, adding that he is actively working to attract airlines such as Delta and Sky West. “The airport currently has four gates. We would like all of them to be in use. So, air service development is really big on our priority list right now.” Beyond commercial flights, Florence Regional handles a mix of general aviation, small cargo, and med flights. “Due to the large healthcare presence in Florence of McLeod and MUSC the med flights do come in and out of here. We are in talks now of having them based here,” Beadles says. Expansion of cargo operations is also on the radar, which would result in a runway extension, and a partnership with Inland Port Dillon. “If you look at the model that Greenville-Spartanburg has, we kind of want to emulate that,” he explains.“They use the Greer Inland Port, and that’s what helped them bring in BMW. That would help the economic growth and impact of what our airport can do for Florence and the Pee Dee region.” FLO also gets some high-profile visitors. “Michael Jordan flew in here,” Beadles boasts. “We have NetJets, and some GA traffic here daily. In the future, we would really like to expand upon that with the available land that we have, redo the FBO, and focus a lot on the GA aspect of our airport as well.” Additionally, the airport sits on more than 1,400 acres, with more than 700 acres identified as developable land. Florence Regional is working to leverage this space to attract new investment. Such 181 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 07 FLORENCE REGIONAL AIRPORT
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