Business

Southern California Logistics Airport Sets the Stage for Growth

With the second-largest runway in North America and a 24-hour control tower, Southern California Logistics Airport is becoming industry’s port of choice.

To say Southern California Logistics Airport is the center of the universe is not necessarily a boastful proclamation.

The multi-modal facility‚ located on what was formerly known as George Air Force Base‚ is a roughly 8-mile transportation hub that likely will play a pivotal role in launching enormous growth in Victor Valley.

Thanks‚ in part‚ to the foresight and effective system put in place by SCLA creators‚ the airport facilities have created an open door for some of the world’s largest cargo carriers. Clients like FedEx‚ Cargolux and ASB Air can save time‚ increase cost-efficiency and take advantage of the favorable climate conditions at the unique High Desert location.

In addition to a 24-hour air tower and complete customs staff‚ SCLA offers its clients a welcome change from the frustrating air congestion of Southern California’s metropolitan airports.

“We have all the advantages of San Diego and San Francisco airports without traffic congestion. Southern California air space is some of the most congested in the country‚” says Peter Soderquist‚ A.A.E. and airport director.

“We have 100 percent uncongested airspace and a 15‚000-foot runway‚ which is the second-largest runway in North America.”

SCLA is one of 600 airports possessing a security certificate from federal Homeland Security. Its Express U.S. Customs Clearance affords conveniently located‚ 24-hour on-site customs staff‚ who can get large cargo through the often time-consuming customs process quickly.

Soderquist says SCLA’s spacious accommodations and competent staff can offload a plane immediately and have product moving to its next destination within two hours.

Large manufacturing firms such as Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.‚ M&M/Mars‚ Nutro Products and ConAgra Foods already have chosen SCLA as their inland port of choice. Redistributing their product away from the coast has eased the massive congestion issues at Los Angeles-area ports and rerouted thousands of well-paying job opportunities to the booming Victor Valley.

Another newcomer to SCLA is General Electric‚ which has relocated there to test aircraft engines. The highly specialized company can test new engine technology at the airport‚ as well as repair and maintain existing equipment.

Sodderquist says SCLA is master-planned to handle and receive 3 million tons of air cargo annually. That’s comparable to the amount of air cargo that can be received at Los Angeles International Airport‚ Memphis International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport.

Thanks to favorable air-quality standards in the Victor Valley‚ the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District has deemed SCLA a good area for aircraft painting. Clients such as United Airlines‚ Jet Blue and Air France use SCLA’s facilities to paint their fleets of planes. Enormous hangars – expandable via a moving wall rail system – can handle even the world’s largest planes with ease.

Though air transportation is an important part of the SCLA development plan‚ it is not the only part. The airport is being billed as “multi-modal‚” meaning that distribution is handled in multiple ways. A Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway hub is projected to encompass the western wall of SCLA and will increase the efficiency of transferring product from one mode of transportation to another.

“The rail industry is a precious commodity in Southern California‚” Soderquist says.

More than 45 percent of the nation’s goods come through the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach‚ and a projected 60 percent of that amount is transported to the East Coast.

Add in the easy interstate access and you have “a unique‚ multi-modal transportation network where rail‚ truck and air transportation fuse together in a fast-track‚ business-friendly environment‚” according to Sam Gibbs‚ vice president of economic enhancement for the Victorville Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber reports that among a variety of other businesses‚ SCLA also is home to a metal fabricator‚ book distributor‚ luxury pool-table manufacturer‚ emergency helicopter service and an aircraft maintenance‚ storage and sales company.

SCLA also is the home of Cal Fire‚ a first-of-its-kind DC10 built specifically to fight forest fires.

Story by Michelle Lovato
Photo by Wes Aldridge

Site Sponsors

Local Advertisers

Site Sponsors

Contact Us

Local Advertisers

Business

Additional Business Articles