Enid officials have been saying the city is growing and pointed to Monday’s groundbreaking for a business expansion at Enid Woodring Regional Airport as proof of that growth.
The groundbreaking actually was for two projects. One is for Aircraft Structures International, owned by Mickey and Kay Stowers, which is starting an expansion project.
The other project is an upgrade of 66th to Cimarron Industrial Park at the airport.
Stowers said he eventually will expand his business into four buildings. In addition to aircraft repair, Stowers also said he plans to begin manufacturing airplane parts and attempting to obtain government contracts.
Brent Kisling, president of Enid Regional Development Alliance, said Enid has not paid attention to the recession that grasps much of the rest of the nation. The 66th access road is a partnership between the city of Enid, the state of Oklahoma and private business.
Work on 66th already has begun.
“We talk-ed about the community investing in itself, and this is an example,” Kisling said.
Mayor John Criner called Enid a “city under construction.”
“We hit the niche just right. We’re building a $34 million wastewater treatment plant, $100 million in schools, and partnering with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation on a new industrial access road,” he said.
Criner said construction is happening all over town and he sees no sign of it stopping in the near future. The building Stowers is starting will begin a project to fill up the airport, he said.
Stowers gave credit for his success to his crew. He said attempts to grow the company in the past were unsuccessful and credited his wife Kay with getting things in order for this expansion.
Stowers travels all over the world and purchases aircraft that have been wrecked. He restores them or rebuilds them for insurance companies. He hopes to fly, sell or lease the aircraft all over the world. There is a good market in Africa and South America, he said.
Stowers also will “change gears” and begin manufacturing some parts for the aircraft in an attempt to obtain more government contracts to manufacture parts for the military. He also hopes to operate airplanes worldwide for the government.