b'CARGOBHM 63The process of manufacturing the steel started before we2023. The company was able to start operating at the airport even completed the design, and the panels were shipped to thebefore its facility was ready because Authority officials worked building site just in time, Lima reports. Without that, we neverout a rental agreement with a maintenance, repair and overhaul wouldve met the deadline. company that had excess hangar space available.It was nerve-wracking, he adds. I have a clock on my deskBefore K+N arrived at BHM, the airport typically handled that counts down to zero, and I had it set to count down to the18,000 to 20,000 tons of cargo annually. But from April 2023 project deadline. Everyone who came to my office could see it.to March 2024, that number jumped to 27,781 tons of cargoWe took this very seriously. nearly a 30% increase.Speedy Construction Right Place, Right InfrastructureThe building includes a steel superstructure, concrete-block wallsLima notes that BHM is Alabamas largest and busiest airport, and and a metal roof. General contractor Stone Building Co. boltedits location is a key factor attracting cargo carriers. the pre-built steel wall panels onto the superstructures steel girtsWere filling a niche, he explains, noting that automakers (horizontal beam-like structures). Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Toyota and Hyundai operate The massive facility includes about 50,000 square feet ofmanufacturing plants in Alabama, not to mention numerous auto-warehouse space and about 3,000 square feet devoted to offices,industry parts suppliers. The automotive industry is focused on a mezzanine, conference and break rooms, restrooms, lockerexpanding in the southern states, plus were close to an interstate rooms and so forth. It also has 17 loading dock bays, with fivehighway and are centrally located.airside bay doors, two airside roll-up doors and two landside roll- In addition, BHMs 12,000-foot main runway is long enough to up doors.accommodate larger cargo planes and features a full instrument The building is not air-conditioned because the large doors arelanding system. The 1,400-acre airport also has available land for open most of the time. Instead, the warehouse space has eightbuilding more cargo facilities. industrial-size, 16-foot-diameter ceiling fans from Big Ass Fans, aFurthermore, Lima notes that BHM can move cargo faster and brand owned by Delta T LLC. cheaper and help operators stay on schedule because larger, They keep things bearable for the staff, Puckli says.more congested airports in urban areas have traffic-clogged To provide as much daylight as possible, the design featureshighways that slow down truck transportation.transom windows, made from translucent polycarbonate panels,Its just easier to operate at an airport our size, he remarks.along the top of the walls. This enhances the work environmentPuckli reports that the new K+N facility already is paying and conserves energy, which reduces electric bills, notes Kalousek. dividends for the Airport Authority and the regionand other The design also includes a stormwater filtration system inside aairports should take note of how BHM made it all happen.300-foot-long concrete vault under the apron. It collects stormwaterIn just a short few months, the facility has become an from the apron, then filters out sediment and other debris beforeeconomic engine for the Birmingham region and a model for discharging it into an existing underground storm sewer systemother regional airports to expand their cargo capabilities to serve that eventually discharges into a local creek. It also serves as ashippers looking for alternatives to better manage their supply stormwater detention mechanism during heavy rainstorms.chain shipping options, he says. Sealing the Deal Building MomentumThe Airport Authority offered K+N financial incentives to entice theMore projects are on the horizon at BHM. The taxiway relocation international shipper to sign a lease agreement. For example, theremains on the drawing board, though its not expected to happen new tenant receives a 50% reduction in landing fees for the firstfor three to four years. And the master development plan created three years, and the lease rate for the facility was cut in half for theby CHA envisions more air cargo facilities on 20 acres of land just first two years. That means the Airport Authority will collect aroundsouth of the K+N facility. $394,560 for each of the first two years of the lease and $789,135 for each of the last three years.UPS is expected to move forward with a new facility there, and K+N could expand its operations at the airport, too, Lima reports.Being able to provide the incentives allowed K+N to feel more comfortable with expanding their operations into BHMOther companies that want to export goods are contacting us, and, ultimately, that led to them finalizing the deal with us, Limatoo, he adds. Now that we have the capability, companies are says. It provided them with the cost break they needed for theirtaking note. Having the assets and a partner like K+N really opens expansion, and it demonstrated our commitment to their futurethe door for all kinds of new business. growth, as well as ours.We expect to continue to grow as long as demand is there. Its The airport already is experiencing significant growth in cargoreally an exciting time for our airport. operations since K+N began flying in and out of BHM in April AirportImprovement.comNovember | December 2024'