Airport Board looks to expand business potential

SUPERIOR – The Mineral County Airport Board believes bringing three-phase power to the Superior area would have huge benefits to the businesses and economy of the area. They have begun plans to make this a reality. According to Kevin Chamberlain, a member of the board and Montana State University extension agent, three-phase power is one of the most common types of power used in industrial work. It uses three conductors to carry three separate alternating currents. It also generates more power. Where most households use single-phase power, three-phase could run an entire multiple-unit apartment block with power to spare. Chamberlain said it was often used by businesses to run big machinery. There have been discussions of bringing three-phase power to the area around the airport. Chamberlain felt this would be good for the area because the power’s presence could be used as a draw to bring new businesses in. He said there was the possibility of building an industrial park to expand the area’s businesses and the economy as a whole. “First thing businesses look for is natural gas, which we don’t have anywhere in the county,” Chamberlain said. “The second thing they look at is do you have three-phase power at the site?” There is already three-phase power in some parts of the county, such as St. Regis. However, these places are already occupied by other businesses. Chamberlain felt building an industrial park would be a good solution. He said there had been a couple businesses who looked at Superior and the airport area as a possible location for their business. Three-phase power was an important factor in their search. Chamberlain said the lack of it in Superior led the businesses to decide against relocating to the area. The overall goal is to provide a place for people to do business. Alternatively, local businesses could move into the park and take advantage of the power. The airport board felt the benefits of upgrading the power in the area made it worthwhile to open discussions with the commissioners and the Federal Aviation Administration. The groups would then discuss what could be done in the area and the potential to develop an industrial park. While the project is being arranged by the airport board, there will be no changes to the airport itself. Chamberlain explained the airport was there to be used for aircraft operations and nothing else. The areas nearby could still be used for other businesses. “The whole point of what we’re trying to do is provide a place for someone to do business,” Chamberlain said. He said the board could not estimate a timeline of progress on the project. Because everything needs to fit into the FAA’s policies and guidelines, all aspects need to be reviewed to see if they comply with regulations. As a result, it would be awhile before any projections could be made. Chamberlain said it was tough to bring new business to the area because conditions were far from ideal. Because of the difficulties, Chamberlain felt anything they could do to make things easier was worth it. The airport board has spoken with the Mineral County Commissioners and other organizations to get funds for the project. They are currently working with the Department of Commerce to get grant money. The board hopes to have a grant application ready to submit by April.