August 23, 2006

Pryce Lauds Continued
Growth at Rickenbacker

Columbus, Ohio – Today, Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R-Columbus) highlighted the significant growth and even greater growth potential of Rickenbacker International Airport. 

Earlier today, the Rickenbacker Employer’s Assistance Network (REAN), a collaboration of human resource personnel from numerous Rickenbacker businesses, announced a Job Fair to help fill skilled and unskilled openings at the airport.  The Job Fair will be held on Thursday, September 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Rickenbacker Charter Terminal, and is demonstrative of the continued growth of the airport.

“The growth at Rickenbacker continues to impress, and the area is beginning to reach its economic potential,” said Pryce.  “On the heels of last week’s announcement that Rickenbacker is now one of the world’s top-20 fastest growing cargo airports, we are clearly seeing that our significant federal investment in the airport is reaping huge dividends for central Ohioans.  With our federal backing, Rickenbacker is becoming an astonishing job generator and boon to our area’s economy.”

Pryce helped secure $21.5 million in the transportation reauthorization bill (TEA-LU) toward the construction of an intermodal hub at Rickenbacker -- a 300-acre yard on the facility’s south side where cargo can be transferred between different modes of transportation such as trains, planes and automobiles.   The $21.5 million complements an additional $90 million included in TEA-LU for the Heartland Corridor project, which provides the infrastructure enhancements necessary to connect southern Franklin County to Norfolk, Virginia via rail line. This money will go toward widening bridges and tunnels along that route to allow trains to carry double-stacked containers north from Norfolk.  It is estimated that with a double-stacked route, the Rickenbacker Intermodal Facility will contribute more than $1.1 billion to the local and state economies over the next 20 years.

“The intermodal hub will help to solidify Columbus’s role as a national and international logistics and distribution center, and fulfill central Ohio’s decade long goal of being an inland port,” Pryce said.  “Most importantly, the hub will continue to create high-paying jobs for central Ohioans, serve as a shot of adrenaline in the central Ohio economy, and spur profound economic growth in the region.  If we are able to maximize Rickenbacker’s intermodal rail capacity, we will create 20,000 new jobs and add an additional 34 million square feet of development to what is already the largest industrial park and distribution complex in central Ohio.”

For more information about the Job Fair, please contact Lynn Aspey with Jewish Family Services (614-559-0117 or laspey@jfscolumbus.org); Elva Shasteen with Eastland-Fairfield Career & Technical Schools (614-836-4541, ext. 360 or eshasteen@efcts.us) or log onto www.myworknet.com.

The July issue of Air Cargo World (www.aircargoworld.com) featured “The World’s Top Cargo Airports,” in which Rickenbacker was ranked as the world’s 17 th fastest growing air cargo airport.