The Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce put together an exciting event at Prattville's Grouby Field on Friday, June 27. Mr. Larry Puckett, Chairman of the Airport Authority Board, presided over the groundbreaking of the terminal expansion. Government and community leaders gathered for the ceremony. The new building will modernize the airport, and is part of an ongoing expansion plan.

The invocation was delivered by Reverend Algie Morgan of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost Church. Mayor Jim Byard, Jr. then rose to deliver an eloquent speech that outlined the benefits of the continued expansion at Grouby Field.

"Grouby Field has become our front door to the world, for economic development and tourism alike," Mayor Byard says. "With the help of the Federal Aviation Administration, we completed a runway expansion to over 5,000 feet in length. It is able to accommodate most corporate aircraft, and the new terminal will continue the renovation of the airport, as well as improve its service and reputation," said Byard. "The airport is used by many facets of our community. Business executives frequently use the facility when traveling to and from Prattville. Prattville hosted the LPGA Navistar Classic this past September, and many of those internationally known professional golfers used our airport. I know that Navistar corporate officials already have, and will continue to use it again in the future," continued Mayor Byard.

Byard said officials of Bass Pro Shops, Belk and Lonestar Plastics are among those who have regularly used the local airport, instead of the larger one in Montgomery and that the aviation facility is a vital part of the local economic development effort.

Dr. John Eagerton and Joe McInnes, both from the Alabama Department of Transportation, also made remarks about the expansion and today's groundbreaking.

Larry Puckett thanked every member of the Airport Authority Board, its charter members, ALDOT, the FAA, Webb Builders, Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, BankTrust, the Prattville City Council, and others in the community that had worked so hard to see this project come to fruition.

While the expansion of Prattville's only airport has been on-going for quite a while, local business and government leaders feel that Friday's groundbreaking ceremony for a new terminal would get the final stages of the project off the ground.

Puckett said the project was being partnered with the Airport Authority and administered by the Alabama Department of Transportation. He said ALDOT had recently issued a "notice to proceed" to the Aiport Authority. He added that the upcoming project is comprised of two parts, the first being the construction of the 4,000+ square foot terminal building, and the second being the construction of a new apron (or ramp) to the terminal building and the resurfacing of the existing ramp. The terminal building will cost $548,000 with the Airport Authority funding $300,000 of the total and ALDOT picking up the rest. The ramp construction/renovation is being funded through a $1,000,000+ grant from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Most of that money has come from Federal Aviation Administration grants, although the city of Prattville does provide an annual appropriation of $103,000 in operating funds each year. Rod Morgan, City of Prattville Finance Director, said. "The long-term goal is, basically, for the airport to become self-supporting. Once they have the new terminal, a new fuel distribution system and some new hangars, it should greatly reduce their dependence on the City of Prattville."

The ceremony ended with the actual groundbreaking by representatives from all involved organizations.

(From L to R) James Sanders (Chairman of the Prattville Area Chamber of Commerce), Glenn Cook (Webb Builders),
Councilmember Bill Gillespie, Councilmember Nathan Fank, Alabama Department of Transportation Director Joe McInnes,
ALDOT Aeronautics Bureau Chief Dr. John Eagerton, Prattville Airport Authority Board Chair Larry Puckett,
Mayor Jim Byard, Jr., Council President Dean Argo, Al Allenback (Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood Engineering),
Airport Boardmembers Bill Hamburger, Bob Vaughn, and Jack Hale, BankTrust President Steve Steele,
April Gray from the Alabama Development Office, and former Airport Board Chair Steve Conyers.