News Conference
Monday August 20, 2001
10:30 AM
CityArts
I have some excited news to share with you today. To many of you, it will not be so surprising. We are, after all, the Air Capital of the World!
When you think of Wichita, you think of aviation. Here, we have quality-related aviation manufacturers that have helped make this region a leader in the aviation and aerospace industry.
The Boeing Company produces two-thirds of the world’s commercial airliners. Combined, Cessna, Raytheon and Bombardier Aerospace’s Learjet division supply 60% of the world’s general aviation and military aircraft.
Wichita continues quality in military operations as home to McConnell AFB, the 22nd Air Refueling Wing of the Air Mobility Command, 931st Air Refueling Group of the Air Force Reserve and the 184th Bomb Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard.
Also, with 25% of Wichita’s population employed in the aviation cluster, the City is known for its skilled workforce and one of the most advanced education programs in the nation to supply the proper training.
All of this combined makes me pleased to announce today that Aviation Week -- the world’s premier multimedia information and service provider to the aviation and aerospace market -- has named Wichita as their choice for the 2001 Air Quality Center!
Ken Gazzola, Executive Vice President & Publisher of Aviation Week told us why the publication selected Wichita. He said: “Few regions of the world have had a greater impact on aerospace than Wichita .It is one of the top breeding grounds for some of the most significant developments in aeronautics.”
According to Mr. Gazzola, this prestigious award recognizes “superior quality and management in civil, military and space organizations and facilities, as well as the geographic regions that support their operations.”
We found that this is only the second time a city has been named with such an honor. In 1999, Toulouse, France was also awarded with the honor as the home base of Airbus and several space technology centers.
Wichita is an exceptional city working to be a great city. Wichita is celebrating a vision, building community projects and accomplishing goals many other cities only dream about. Indeed, Wichita has come a long way since its rough and rugged beginnings as a cowtown along the Chisholm Trail.
What has not changed in 100 years is the spirit of innovation and hard work by the people who live in Wichita. Wichita is honored for the third time by the National Civic League as an All-America City, reflecting how that spirit has led to many partnerships between neighborhoods, business and government and is forging a strong community.
Wichita is also honored to have been chosen as one of five regional economies around the United States to be included in this important study by the national Council on Competitiveness and the Harvard Business School. The study looks at the influence of industrial clusters on the health and vitality of regional economies, such as ours, as well as the national economy.
The key to Wichita’s economic prosperity is the strong entrepreneurial spirit that has always existed here. This phenomenon goes back to the founding pioneers of Wichita. They were seekers of opportunity and strivers who withstood great natural adversity to build a thriving economic engine. This phenomenon continued throughout our history, with the cattle industry, agriculture, oil and gas, aviation, plastics, retail franchising and more recently, “dot-com” businesses.
Wichita also has a long and proud military history with McConnell Air Force Base and Kansas Air National Guard. McConnell and the Guard play an important and vital role in our national defense and in the economic vitality, community well-being and overall quality of life in Wichita.
Wichita is very proud of the success of its economy and the prosperity it has brought to its citizens. For those who know about us, the strength of our economy and the excellence in our aviation industry is no surprise. For those who may not be aware, this award will bring Wichita and its aviation companies the attention and praise it deserves.
There are some people here today that have made it possible for us to win this award. I’d like to recognize them now. They include:
BOEING WICHITA. Their representatives today are:
Doug Reece, Director of Quality & Process Improvement
Ron Brunton, Director of Operations
Mike Germann, Director of Communications & Public Affairs
Dick Ziegler, Senior Manager, Public Communications
CESSNA. Their representatives today are:
Lanny Mani, Director of Quality
Marilyn Richwine, Vice President of Corporate Communications
BOMBARDIER LEARJET. Their representative is:
Dave Franson, Director of Communications & Public Affairs, USA
McConnell Air Force Base. Their representative is:
Col. Ernie Felts, Vice Commander of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell
Unfortunately, Raytheon could not be with us today.
This is also something everyone should be celebrating at home. With 1 in 4 persons working in the aviation industry in Wichita, they are also the reason we won this prestigious award!
Today, the publication is sent to the 104,000 paid subscribers and 375,000 readers in 130 countries. Inside that publication an 8-page supplement about Wichita will arrive at their doors. So they too, will realize that Wichita truly is the AIR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!
The Wichita Aerospace Team will be recognized in an upcoming awards ceremony at Aviation Week’s Aerospace Expo conference in California on October 16 & 17. Plans are underway to celebrate this honor in Wichita at the same time that the City will be celebrated in California.
So you see, this truly is a great honor. This once again confirms our City’s status as the Air Capital of the World! Wichita’s aviation cluster is a key element of this City’s entrepreneurial spirit and innovative practices. This is something for our entire citizenry to be proud of! And we, as a city, are ready to celebrate!