Business View Magazine - Sept 2023

282 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 9 For example, we’ve identified warehousing as a big need here in Amarillo and we feel that if we can attract some good companies to come in, that will spur some other things.” Some recent positive developments include a $670-million capital investment by Producer Owned Beef, a meat processing company that bought some airport land and intends to open a new facility by late 2024 that will employ nearly 1,600. “We’ve also got a lot of big businesses that are moving right around the airport,” Conner adds. “There’s a Buc-ee’s Travel Center, and we also have a company – Chemical Vapor Metal Refining – about a half mile away that’s going to be processing rare metals.” CVMR intends to invest $1.5 billion to build a 500,000-sq.-ft. facility on 540 acres. Onsite maintenance continues Meanwhile, maintaining AMA’s physical footprint is a never-ending job. On the commercial side, some upcoming projects include: upgrading the elevator in the parking garage, while adding another new one; upgrading the TSA’s screening equipment; improving the airport’s baggage handling system; repaving entrance roads and parking lots; and conducting an airfield-wide remarking project to ensure the airport’s markings remain in compliance with FAA standards. On the general aviation side, the airport replaced a very old FBO terminal building with a new one, and its former FBO, TAC AIR was replaced by Signature Flight Support, one of the largest fixed base operator chains in the world. “Signature has been very good to work with and in the long run, we think they’ll provide a lot more opportunities for development of general aviation facilities,” Conner says. “I think we’re going to be working with them to provide additional maintenance capabilities shortly. “We also have a second FBO that’s going in very soon; they’re constructing their facility right now– it’s called Haven Arrow. They already