EDC touts county assets at Paris Air Show

Local companies have good name overseas

GRANT COUNTY — Zut alors! Is the Paris Air Show ever massive!

That's according to Caroline Spira, Grant County Economic Development Council manager of communications and research, who recently returned from the aerospace trade and public event.

"It is extremely large, there were five static exhibition halls where all the booth displays were, and then there was a dynamic exhibition, which was outside," Spira said. "That's where all of the planes that were on display were."

Walking from one end of the dynamic display to another and back would have taken a person about 30 to 45 minutes, she estimated.

"Just walking, not stopping to look at the airplanes," she said. "It's a very large show area."

The GCEDC display was part of the Washington state booth in the U.S. Pavilion, alongside four other state-based entities — Spokane International Airport, Apache Aerospace, Nova-Tech Engineering and Exotic Metals and the state display. The Paris Air Show began June 13, with the first four days open for trade purposes, and the final three open to the public.

At the event, the GCEDC premiered its English-language promotional video on a continuous loop during the entire show. The council also had a poster and brochures.

"Those that watched it through thought it was very well done, really liked what they saw," she said of the video.

The GCEDC had a very good first showing, Spira said.

"The Paris Air Show is one of those shows where you go to build relationships, establish contacts," she said. "We need to build those relationships, so that we are at the forefront of companies' thoughts when it comes to locations for aerospace."

Spira said she also met some companies that have had experience with Grant County International Airport in testing planes, and had had very positive interaction with Air America Fuel Service and Columbia Pacific Aviation.

"They were very complimentary of the service they got, which was very heartwarming, having gone halfway around the world, to hear someone else say, 'Your local companies are great,'" Spira said. A former Boeing pilot also had wonderful things to say about the airport, she said. "So we have a very good reputation."

Also at the exhibit, Gov. Christine Gregoire had a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the booth Monday morning, and stayed for a day and a half, which is an unusual duration of time for a governor to attend, according to Spira.

National press has devoted a lot of attention to the competition between Airbus, the majority of which is owned by the French-based European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS), and Boeing. Did Spira see any rivalry between the two companies at the air show?

"(There was) a lot of gossip going around, of course — 'So-and-so said this, so-and-so said that,'" she said, noting that many people went out to watch the planes fly. "When the A-380 flew as a demonstration for the show, you know everyone was out there regardless of what company they worked for, just to see that large airplane fly."

Airbus' new plane was almost a city-block long, Spira estimated, and double decker. "It appeared to me to be at least four stories high. The number of passengers that could fit on that airplane, it could fit more than some of our Grant County towns."

When Grant County and the state of Washington originally put in a bid for the EADS air tanker assembly location, the GCEDC felt it would be a good idea to attend the Air Show. EADS announced this week that it had selected Mobile, Ala. for its new factory.

"Being at the show, with over 1,700 exhibitors, aerospace is a big industry and it's worthwhile for us, with the assets that we have — the Grant County International Airport — to be there and make some connections to further develop the airport," Spira said.