Business View Magazine November-December 2018

124 125 “We also have some non-aviation businesses on the Airport property,” Morgan explains. “We have our golf course on the recreational side of things but we also have some local businesses located on the property. Howell Munitions and Technol- ogy are based here, as is Seekins Precision that manufactures sporting and specialty firearms.We also have a new tenant onboard and they have signed leases which will enable us to have an aviation history museum on site. It is an individ- ual who, along with others, owns vintage aircraft and has been putting on an air show for the last two years bringing in around 10,000 people.We are very excited about this development which should be coming in the next few months.” The Airport also has land to expand. There are 30 acres on the south side slated for future devel- opment. “We are certainly not landlocked when it comes to development,” Morgan states. Morgan concedes that the Airport does com- pete with a couple of other regional airports, but the amazing climate, which meant zero cancella- tions last year, really helps. “We also have a con- tracted Air Traffic Control Tower which the com- petition does not,” she avers. “This adds a layer of safety as far as I am concerned. Then there is the fact that we have two runways. This Airport has a LEWISTON-NEZ PERCE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT lot to offer.” Airports are constantly under renovation and restoration, and Lewiston-Nez Perce is no excep- tion. It recently completed a runway reconstruc- tion project on its primary runway and is currently rebuilding a new operations hub. After purchasing new, larger rescue and fire vehicles, a new home for them is needed, as well. This new operations building is a $6 million dollar project and will house both the fire and the snow removal vehi- cles. “We also, recently, had approval for a project which will improve our taxiway lighting,” says Morgan. “This will include a new vault as well as taxiway lights. It means relocating our wind cone and magnetic circle as well. Then, we will move on to the design for our reconstruction for our shorter runway which is our primary focus for our general aviation. This is estimated to be a $7 million dollar project.” And what about the long-term future?