The Ashland area is located within an existing aerospace cluster with a skilled workforce to match.

In addition to its competitively low energy costs, the Ashland area has been certified as an excellent location for the aerospace industry. The consulting team of Common Sense Economic Development and Tucson Atlantic Consulting surveyed and examined the Ashland area, and its potential to target, recruit and support aerospace-related businesses and industries and certified the Ashland area as an AEROready™ Community. This confirms the Ashland area as possessing the needed resources to attract and sustain the aerospace industry.

One recent major success was the construction of the $1.3 billion Unity Aluminum aluminum rolling mill at our EastPark Industrial Center. This mill will bring 500 full-time advanced manufacturing jobs to the Ashland area. The facility will be geared to produce aluminum products for the aerospace industry. The aerospace industry cluster in the Ashland area and the surrounding region will see a beneficial impact for suppliers, support industries, and users of Unity Aluminum aluminum.

AMERICAN METAL WORKS

CNC manufacturing facility baed in Eastern Kentucky

CARBON FIBER COMPOSITES

Produces composite airframe parts

GESTAMP

ICL INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS, INC.

Manufactures industrial chemicals for the aerospace industry

LEVEL 1 FASTENERS, INC.

Produces “LEVEL 1” certified specialty fasteners; primarily in non-ferrous materials in West Virginia

RAJANT CORP.

Produces portable multi-frequency wireless solutions

STAR TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Manufactures precision clamping devices, brackets and metal stampings used in the aerospace industry

UNITY ALUMINUM

Manufactures aluminum alloys for the aerospace industry

UNITY ALUMINUM

Manufactures aluminum alloys for the aerospace industry

The Consulting Team of Common Sense Economic Development and Tucson Atlantic Consulting has surveyed and examined the Ashland area, and its potential to target, recruit and support aerospace-related business and industry. Fourteen essential qualities in aerospace site location searches were evaluated, and many secondary aviation-support criteria were assessed to determine the potential for aerospace corporations to operate successfully in the two county region. In summary, ten of the fourteen qualities as are follows:

  1. Airport(s) with at least 10-acres of available land for economic development, supporting navigation aids for corporate aircraft and a minimum 5,000-foot runway;
  2. Availability of local training of technical skills required by aerospace companies;
  3. An FAA-certified airframe and power plant (A&P) training facility located within a reasonable proximity;
  4. Available industrial land and building(s) or hangar(s) suitable for aviation development;
  5. An available skilled workforce and workforce training suitable for aviation employment;
  6. Adequate infrastructure to support the aviation industry;
  7. Aviation-support service business and industry;
  8. A community pro-business environment;
  9. Proximity to university based aerospace programs and research;
  10. Quality of Life assets in the region which are essential to attracting executive talent.

It is our opinion that the area possesses the resources needed to attract and sustain aerospace industry, including those that require airport support services and infrastructure, as well as those that simply need high-quality sites or buildings.

The regional public and private leadership have shown a strong commitment to grow their market area and we are pleased to endorse their aerospace recruiting efforts by certifying the Ashland area as an AEROready™ Community, signifying its ability to successfully support the critical needs of the aerospace industry. This certification authorizes the Ashland Alliance and its aerospace partners to utilize the AEROready™ Community logo in its marketing efforts and to publicize its AEROready™ Community status as needed to recruit aerospace-related business and industry.

ROBERT INGRAM

TUSCON ROBERTS