The Aviation cluster is an established cluster in the Southeast Gas Region. The South Subregion is well-positioned for the Aviation sector. South Alabama and northwest Florida are home to many aviation companies, including the Airbus final assembly operation in Mobile. Another essential component that makes the case for attracting Aviation and Support Service business is the talent that exists in the area and the pipeline for continued workforce development, with Fort Rucker and the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, which trains, educates and develops agile and adaptive Army Aviation professionals. Nationally, this industry family is forecasted to grow slightly in employment, and overall, the industry outlook is optimistic.
Talent
- Nearly 1 million population in the region
- Labor force of more than 430,000
- 6,913 degrees awarded in the region related to aeronautics (2017)
- Full Airframe and Powerplant education programs through Alabama Aviation College in Ozark, Alabama and Andalusia, Alabama
- Production workforce of 25,000
- Existing pool of high-demand workers for aviation businesses
Thriving Business
- Southeast Gas region military installation Fort Rucker and U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence
- Bell Helicopter in Ozark and Lockheed Martin and Sikorski Aircraft in Troy serve to diversify aviation operations for a variety of companies
- Concentration of Flight Training industry (with a Location Quotient of 35.83)
- Concentration of Aircraft Manufacturing (with a Location Quotient of 17.28)
- Concentration of Commercial Pilot occupation (with a Location Quotient of 10.19)
- Concentration of Aircraft Structure and Assemblers (with a Location Quotient of 9.69)
- Concentration of Aircraft Mechanics (with a Location Quotient of 7.17)
- Concentration of Avionics Technicians (with a Location Quotient of 6.77)
Area Assets
- Major military installations in immediate area
- Large aircraft assembly operations in close proximity
- Numerous military veterans with aviation and technical skills in immediate area
- Airframe and Powerplant certification programs in region
- Existing airfield sites
- Interstate highways provide logistical advantage
- 22 colleges & universities in the region
- Engineering related programs in area
- Availability of fully served industrial sites
- Affordable cost of living
Aviation Existing Pool of High-Demand Occupations, 2018
Southeast Gas Region and Subregions
The Southeast Gas region comprises 18 counties in southeast Alabama that are served by Southeast Gas. These counties are Barbour, Butler, Chambers, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Escambia, Henry, Houston, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery, Pike and Russell. Given the diversity of this territory, Garner Economics divided the region into two subregions: North and South. The map above illustrates the subregions for the purposes of the Garner Economics Target Industries Study. This subdivision was accomplished based on industry clusters by county.
