Saturday, March 1, 2008
- Sun Herald
Jackson County economic-development officials expect the county to reap benefits from the selection of Northrop Grumman and its European partner to produce military refueling tankers in nearby Mobile.
"We here in Jackson County are absolutely ecstatic with the Air Force's decision to select the KC-130 refueling tanker and to locate the manufacturing and assembly process at Brookley Field," said George Freeland, executive director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, after learning about the selection Friday.
Northrop Grumman and Paris-based European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. beat out Boeing Co. to build 179 refueling tankers in Mobile, creating an estimated 2,000 jobs.
The contract is worth at least $30 billion to $40 billion over 10 to 15 years. It is the first of three deals to replace the Air Force's entire fleet of nearly 600 tankers.
Freeland said the Economic Development Foundation has worked over the last two years to align the county with Mobile officials in support of the program and to court potential suppliers for Jackson County.
"Trent Lott International Airport, with close to 200 acres, is but a mere 45 or 50 miles from Brookley, so we have worked with Mobile very closely to support the contract decision itself and strategically position ourselves for supplier opportunities with these contracts," Freeland said.
Mississippi's top elected officials see long-term benefits to Mobile's success in landing such an enormous project.
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