The good news about Ohio’s aerospace industry is that it’s robust and creates good jobs. The bad news is that other states want it.

That’s the blog-sized gist of a report on the state of Ohio’s aerospace industry reviewed Friday afternoon at the Air Force Association’s Ohio Aerospace Conference. The conference wraps up today in the Hope Hotel and Conference Center on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

The report, “A Strategy for Growing the Ohio Aerospace Industry,” (pdf file) makes these conclusions:

• Ohio has a deep and diverse pool of aerospace and defense technology and manufacturing, including two federal laboratories (Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Pat and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland,) a large number of private companies and strong university research and education programs.

•The industry employs more than 60,000 Ohioans in jobs that pay nearly twice the state’s average wage.

•Other states are making focused efforts to lure Ohio aerospace companies, threatening Ohio’s competitive position.

•Despite challenges, Ohio’s aerospace and defense industry has the capacity to seize “extraordinary opportunities” that could emerge through expanded information sharing, collaboration and networking.

•Ohio’s aerospace and defense industry needs more effective and sophisticated advocacy with federal, state and local initiatives.

The study was done in 2005, so the data’s already dated. The threat of losing business to other states couldn’t be clearer, and we’ve seen the effects. Example: UPS acquired the heavy-freight air hub operation at Dayton International Airport and then shut it down last year, moving the operation to its Louisville base. The airport’s $35 million budget took a $7 million hit in lost landing fees and federal Airport Improvement Program funds.

AFA hosted a panel to discuss the report. Panelist included State Sen. Steve Austria; Vincent Russo, former executive director of the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Pat; Michael Heil, President and CEO of the Cleveland based Ohio Aerospace Institute; Dayton City Commissioner Matt Joseph; former State Sen. Chuck Horn, and Thomas Krusemark, ASC’s Small Business Administration Procurement Center representative. Boiled down, here’s what they said:

•Austria: Take every opportunity to tell politicians about the opportunities and risks for Ohio’s aerospace and defense sector.

•Heil: A win for one region of Ohio doesn’t mean a loss for the others, and the regions should work together to seize opportunities for the state.

•Horn: Think regionally — beyond local and even state boundaries — to compete in the global marketplace, and focus on technology-based economic development.

•Joseph: Involve local governments.

•Krusemark: Small businesses make up a huge part of the aerospace and defense industry and have great opportunities for growth if larger businesses work with them, and the Small Business Administration offers ways to do that.

•Russo: Ohio is in “a unique position” to capitalize on a concentration of aerospace research and development unmatched anywhere in the world, but the state “still doesn’t get it.”

Gen. Bruce Carlson, commander of the Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Pat, spoke earlier at the conference. Here's the Dayton Daily News story.

The Air Force Association’s Wright Memorial Chapter has lined up a panel of experts to discuss the future of Ohio’s aerospace industry Friday afternoon. The panel will be a part of the AFA’s two-day State Aerospace Conference, Convention and Education Workshop at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center on Wright Patterson Air Force Base.

The panelists include State Senator Steve Austria; Dr. Vince Russo, former executive director of the Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) at Wright-Pat; Dr. Michael Heil, President and CEO of the Cleveland based, Ohio Aerospace Institute; Dayton City Commissioner Matt Joseph; former State Senator Chuck Horn; Thomas Krusemark, ASC’s Small Business Administration Procurement Center representative, and John McCance, AFA state president.

They’ll discuss the 2005 Ohio Aerospace and Defense Advisory Council’s report, “A Strategy for Growing the Ohio Aerospace & Defense Industry.” (pdf file.)

“This is a tremendously important topic to the State of Ohio. The aerospace industry plays a significant role in the overall state economy and per capita is nearly twice the salary of any other industry here” McCance said in a news release. “It is time that we broaden this discussion to include Federal, State, and Local elected officials in addition to industry and Air Force leadership. If we don’t address the findings in the report, we will fall even further behind states that have recognized the importance of the industry and have rallied together to better promote their interests.”

I gave an overview of the conference in a previous blog. You can download details and registration info here.

Want to learn the state of Ohio's aerospace industry? Get updated on the missions coming to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base? Attend an aerospace education workshop? Or just hear from Wright-Pat's ranking general? You can do all of the above at the Air Force Association's 2007 Ohio Aerospace Conference, Convention and Aerospace Education Workshop. AFA's Wright Memorial Chapter will host the event Friday and Saturday, April 20-21, at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center.

Gen. Bruce Carlson, head of the Air Force Materiel Command and Wright-Pat's top officer, is to give opening remarks on Friday. Lt. Gen. James G. Roudebush, Air Force surgeon general (and a medical doctor who received his residency training at the Wright-Pat Medical Center), is the luncheon speaker. The Dayton Development Coalition is slated to give an update on implementation of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act, which is expected to bring more than 3,500 jobs to the Dayton region.

Also scheduled is a discussion by military, industry, academic, and elected officials discussion on the state of the aerospace industry in Ohio and across the nation.

Saturday's schedule includes opening remarks by Col. Colleen Ryan, 88th ABW Commander, and a Wright-Pat education outreach overview by education director Kathleen S. Schweinfurth (pdf file). Amanda Wright Lane, great-grand niece of Wilbur and Orville Wright, is the scheduled luncheon speaker. Afternoon sessions include AFA state meetings and a concurrent aerospace education workshop.

Registration is available in advance or on site. Advance registration closes Tuesday, April 17. Get full details here (pdf file).