Maury Co. Airport lays foundation for future growth with new runway

Over the next few months, the Maury County Regional Airport will undergo a much-needed facelift to its aging runway, an $8 million project that will resurface the 6,000-foot stretch, laying the foundation of future travel in Middle Tennessee.

The regional airport in Mt. Pleasant, or MRC (Federal Aviation Association ID), one of 78 airports throughout the state, has made a name for itself as one of the busiest airports of its size in Tennessee, housing one of the longest runways among small airports in the state and selling 20,000 gallons of fuel per month.

Manager Paul Turner attests that what keeps the air traffic coming to the regional airport in Mt. Pleasant is hands down the memorable customer service.

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Although major corporations like General Motors, call the airport its home base for freight distribution and executive travel, the face of the airport — Turner's hospitality — is what sets the terminal apart, according to repeat customers.

The airport located in rural southern Middle Tennessee is located with quick access to state Hwy. 43, which was extended to reach Columbia's Highway 31 for better access to GM, then Saturn plant, in the 1980s.

Corporate giants that frequently use the airport include Love's Travel Stop, Walmart, Kohler, Hobby Lobby, Jimmy John's sandwich shop and Springer Mountain Farms chicken to name a few. It's also not uncommon to see a few country music stars walking through the terminal on any given day.

Greg Martin, airport board member, said the upgrades will set the stage for the future, but regardless of the upgrades, Turner serves as a solid fixture at the airport through the changes.

"They choose the airport because of the quality of service," he said. "Paul sets the high standards of service. That airport is his baby."

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Airport closed for upgrades until September

Turner recently gazed out the terminal window at the cranes and bulldozers, which line the runway, not a familiar site, he says. He can't wait to get back to normal operations upon the completion of the project in September that includes resurfacing the five decades-old runway, installing LED lighting and upgrading electrical systems.

The runway, which was constructed in 1974, has remained untouched and will now be strengthened to ensure it can accommodate the weight of multiple aircrafts of all sizes and the freight they carry for numerous companies in the region.

The $8 million grant brings improvements to the 30-year-old runway. The project is funded through a matching grant program in which both the local airport and the Tennessee Aeronautics Division will partner to provide 5% toward the project, while the Federal Aviation Administration provides 95% of the project's funding.

"We can accommodate any aircraft here, a gulfstream for example, because of our runway length and width, unlike many smaller, more crowded airports in the region," Turner said. "We have always been able to do that. We are not landlocked. We have plenty of room.

"The upgrades just ensure we can keep doing that. It just needed to be done."

Economic impact

The airport's economic impact to Maury County is $13.9 million annually, according to the recent Tennessee Aviation Economic Impact Study generated by Tennessee Department of Transportation in 2019. Of that amount visitor spending equaled $3.8 million.

The state's aviation industry reaches $40 billion among 78 airports, including major sites in Middle Tennessee like BNA, Nashville's commercial airport, John C. Tune in Nashville and high-traffic airports in Smyrna and Murfreesboro.

According to Martin, the Maury Regional is on its way to becoming self-sustaining through its sale of fuel at a competitive price and frequent air traffic that draws corporate and private customers to the region. Martin said the new runway will secure airport operations over the next 50 years, adding that plans to build a new terminal is in the works once funding is secured.

Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance president Wil Evans said the airport is a crucial component in attracting major corporations to Southern Middle Tennessee by providing convenient business travel and distribution.

As Maury County has become a hub for the auto industry and manufacturing with facilities like GM, JC Ford tortilla machine-maker, Fiberon, Mersen and Ultium Cells, the airport adds convenience to companies' logistical distribution, deliveries and travel.

"We are serving many different businesses and people from other states, so they might be traveling by plane or helicopter from site to site," Evans said. "It allows them to land directly in our community. It's important that the facility is of highest quality since many times, it's the first impression they get of our county.

"The airport also offers a good option to transport freight for many of the companies we serve."

Dream job everyday

Turner, who is on-call 24/7, focuses on high quality customer service even though the airport is not a private entity, but state and federally funded.

Taylor greets flyers, serves individuals and corporations and schedules logistics almost every hour of the day.

He's a familiar face with his dog Bella, a poodle, in tow, who relishes each visit by flyers.

"People love to be greeted by Bella," Turner said.

Many have come to depend on Turner to fulfill their daily flying needs from helping to coordinate deliveries to nearby manufacturers to storing planes for personal travel.

As Taylor stands in front of his "wall of fame" in the airport lobby in early June, dozens of familiar faces decorate the wall, including local country music greats, and frequent fliers, like Dierks Bentley and Luke Bryan and recent visitor Tim Tebow.

Turner says he loves his job and wouldn't want to be doing anything else.

Although the airport administrative offices were built in the 1950s from left-over materials used to build Maury Regional Medical Center, Turner keeps the site spic-n-span.

"It comes from my days in the restaurant business and service industry. My pet-peeve is fingerprints on glass," he said. "I will follow behind families with kids to make sure the smudges are gone."

Putting customers first comes naturally for Turner, who hangs his hat on hospitality.

"I think people keep coming back because we are clean, accommodating, laid-back and offer a place to seek solace and relax. If you need coffee or a snack, we have it, or even a shower or a place to be quiet," he said.

The airport will be unusually quiet, something Turner is not used to, over the next three months as the runway and tarmac undergo much needed upgrades that will set the foundation for future traffic at the airport.

"Everyone has been really patient and say they can't wait to come back," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Maury Co. Airport lays foundation for future growth with new runway