Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 10

256 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 10 Westover Airport L ocated in Chicopee, Massachusetts, approximately five miles northwest of the City of Spring eld in Hampden County, Westover Airport (CEF) has deep military roots. It was originally established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as an Army Air Corps Base and went on to play a strategic role in the country’s defence – from World War II to Iraq and into Afghanistan. In 1974, the base was realigned as a joint-use civilian/military airfield. Today, Westover operates as an FAA Certified Part 139 Class IV Air Carrier Airport serving large aircraft including public and private charters. Describing the local area, Michael Bolton, President and CEO of Westover Airport, shares, “Springfield is the largest city in Hampden County and the fourth largest in all of New England, which is particularly noted for being the birthplace of basketball and of Theodor Geisel, better known as “Dr. Seuss”. So Springfield has the Basketball Hall of Fame, as well as several higher educational institutions and prep schools. Some of these are prestigious enough to count former heads of state as their graduates. There is also a Six Flags amusement park across the river. So, a lot is happening here.” Springfield was also home to the Springfield Armory – the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1777 until its closing in 1968. This left a legacy of gun manufacturers in the area, including Smith & Wesson. “We also had this Strategic Air Command Facility,” recounts Bolton, “which had 6,000 acres and 65,000 active military personnel. We housed high altitude bombers and fighters. When the base was downsized to a reserve facility, that left about 2500 acres of surplus property and the area was devastated economically. And so the state and local leaders got together and created what’s called the Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation (WMDC), which went on to develop the surplus military property for jobs and tax dollars. We created three industrial parks: Air Park West, Air Park East, and Air Park North. These WMDC sites with over 100 companies support $1.7B in spending and nearly 7,000 jobs (direct and indirect/ OPPORTUNITY IS IN THE AIR