". . . the newest FBO to join the chain is a facility at Orlando Sanford International Airport. The facility is operated by Freeman Holdings Group, the ninth Freeman location in the Million Air chain. Freeman CEO Scott Freeman calls the Million Air addition a strategic move for the company that operators facilities stretching from California to New York. . . . As part of the addition, the facility is undergoing a $3.5 million renovation that including stripping the facility’s 10,000-ft. attached hangar down to the structural steel and rebuilding. The 7,000-sq.-ft. terminal building is also undergoing upgrades that will include some of the Million Air-standard features, along with a range of amenities such as a theater, flight planning room and executive conference room."Wow . . . that's lots of money . . . and a theater? and an executive conference room? Think Mr. Freeman will be doing this at Griffiss?
Well, as the headline says, Million Air "refuses to grow at all costs." Million Air's CEO Roger Woolsey says:
"“If you overpay for your property, you can’t make money ... or you charge ridiculous fuel prices.”"With its highest sales tax, Oneida County is already behind the curve on keeping Million Air's fuel prices low. How are other costs at Griffiss compared to elsewhere? There is a special utility company there that pays some lush salaries for a small operation. Are its costs lower?
If it costs too much to do business here, the customers . . . and business expenditures to attract them . . . will go elsewhere.
4 comments:
Freeman hasn't invested at Griffiss because the County has subsidized and paid for everything he either needs or wants, e.g., free rent and utilities; receives 50% of some hangar rents; expanded fuel farm constructed; self-service fuel constructed; corporate hangar constructed; customs facility to be constructed; control tower operated at County expense if not funded by the FAA; and now a FBO building to be constructed to his specifications. No need to spend his money, except that Freeman donated $6,400 to the county executive’s re-election campaign fund from 2009-11. Oneida County’s airport business plan: “We Have Put Millions Into Million Air!”
WHY BUY THE COW WHEN YOU CAN GET MILK FOR FREE!
County government taxpayer money in . . . and campaign contribution back out. Now that’s quid pro quo at its finest. They don’t even try to conceal their moral impropriety.
And, we continue to pay taxes for an airport that is not an airport!
Post a Comment