Collaborative Development: Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority in Selma Helps Its Partners Take Flight

Craig Field Airport, located just south of Selma, Alabama, in Dallas County, has a rich history of service to this country. Established in 1940 as a key training site for military pilots, the airfield proved essential for national defense during World War II and in the decades after the war. 

When the U.S. Air Force officially deactivated the base in 1977, local and state leaders seized the opportunity to transform it into a center for economic growth and innovation. The site became known as Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority (CFAIA), a unique cooperative effort between public and private partners, and — through aviation and industrial enterprise — it has been helping to drive the region’s economy ever since.

CFAIA comprises more than 2,200 acres, including a general-purpose airport with a lighted 8,002-by-150-foot paved runway (with 1,000-foot overruns on each end) — the region’s longest runway. The airport facility also has a terminal building, recently updated hangars and a 70-acre aircraft parking apron with tie-downs, as well as fueling and maintenance operations. 
 

The airport is capable of supporting a wide range of aircraft, from small business jets to large corporate and cargo operations, including accommodating C-130, 747 and 777 sized aircraft (Air Force One has even stopped at Craig Field), and hangars are spacious enough to hold 757-size aircraft.

Airport infrastructure includes plenty of ramp space, T hangars and maintenance facilities able to accommodate both private aviation and commercial operations.

But Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority offers much more, including, surrounding the airfield, hundreds of acres of available industrial property equipped with utilities and road access, with adaptable building sites that are ideal for manufacturing plants, distribution centers and technology firms.

The complex has railroad access via a brand-new spur and is conveniently located near major Highway 80, with I-65 and I-85 to the east and I-20 and I-59 to the west offering easy connectivity to major markets across the Southeast such as Montgomery, Birmingham and Mobile. 

There are paved roads, utilities including natural gas and fiberoptics, onsite fire protection services, perimeter fencing and more. In addition to having plenty of land available for new construction, multiple large commercial and industrial buildings on site can be customized for immediate occupancy, supporting businesses seeking proximity to air transport and multimodal logistics. 
 

In fact, CFAIA is able to help with securing grants so clients can build or modify structures customized exactly to their industrial needs. 

CFAIA also is located near the Alabama River, expanding logistics versatility with waterway access, too. There is even a nine-hole golf course and driving range on the property.

“We have the ideal location for major industry to come in and set up an intermodal distribution and logistics operation,” says CFAIA Executive Director Ryan “Rider” Corrigan. “From manufacturing, heavy industry and aerospace/aviation to distribution and advanced logistics, we have the resources and infrastructure here that you won’t find anywhere else in the Southeast. We can efficiently support operations of any scale, all with a low cost of operations.

“For businesses and industry, Craig Field is like playing in a sandbox,” he adds. “We have everything you need right here, and companies don’t need to feel limited in any way.”

Independent Authority

As a multimodal transportation hub offering businesses strategic access to air, road and rail networks throughout the Southeast, Craig Field comes with, essentially, no strings attached. 

“We are our own authority,” Corrigan says. “I work for the Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority; we don’t work for the city, county or state. If we say yes to something, we dive in and get it done — we generate a lease and we’re ready to go.” 

This freedom to work with partners on their own terms produces a level of collaboration that industrial clients just can’t find elsewhere. In fact, Corrigan says he recently worked with a new client to set up their business at CFAIA. 

“From our first conversation with them to their company starting up operations here, it only took 12 days,” he notes. “In addition to having no restrictions or red tape, we have a very service-oriented, people-oriented staff. Anything you want to do, you can do right here.”

This makes arrangements flexible in a way that benefits all parties, notes Corrigan. “I’ve leased buildings to clients at zero cost if they make improvements to the buildings and we get to keep those improvements at the end of their lease. We also do all we can to help steer businesses toward our clients. What’s good for them is good for us, too.”

CFAIA’s unique combination of connected transportation options provides companies with a cost-effective and efficient means of moving goods, materials and personnel, making Craig Field a strong draw for industries in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, logistics and defense. 
 

Room to Grow

Currently, CFAIA has 19 diverse tenants, “and there is plenty of room for more,” Corrigan adds. 

CFAIA also operates an adjacent site, called Sel Field, so there’s even more room to grow. 

“For businesses looking to locate in a supportive, growing environment, it’s worth it for them to find out what we have to offer.”

Opportunities are plentiful at Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority, including for:
 

• Logistics and Distribution Hubs: Facilitated by close proximity to major highways and access to rail transportation, CFAIA is ideal for companies focusing on warehousing, shipping and cargo operations.
   
• Advanced Manufacturing and Assembly: The industrial park environment, abundant utilities and large tracts of developable land make it a great fit for manufacturing or assembly operations, with easy ability to move goods and material.
   

• 

  Research and Development Facilities: Companies in aerospace, defense or renewable energy can leverage the secure, flexible environment to conduct testing, prototyping and product development.
   

• Strategic Training Facilities: For areas like aviation, industrial and emergency response, CFAIA has plenty of space, indoor and out, for training, an accessible airfield, clear air space and a supportive infrastructure. 
   
• Aircraft Maintenance and Modification Operations: Having the region’s longest runway, along with plenty of existing hangar space, provides excellent conditions for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) operations and aircraft refurbishing companies.

Once an operation decides to locate at Craig Field, it can take advantage of the skilled regional workforce, tapping into a dependable and experienced labor pool supported by local training programs and partnerships with technical schools and colleges. Craig Field already hosts an advanced air traffic control training tenant, and Corrigan hopes to expand opportunities with partnerships with local schools and colleges.

Corrigan himself is a retired Air Force colonel with significant civil and military aviation experience, who was born in Selma and came back to the area after working in South Carolina.
 

“At CFAIA, we love to show our patriotism by supporting Department of Defense training opportunities,” he says. “We have defense contractors here taking advantage of all we have to offer, including using our airfield for training, instrument approaches, etc. along with our seamless logistics and distribution. We have plenty of space and plenty of buildings they can use as training facilities.”

By connecting aviation, industry and innovation through its world-class infrastructure and collaborative opportunity, Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority is helping to drive economic growth throughout the region. 

“We not only want to serve our clients and tenants in the best ways we possibly can, but we feel a deep responsibility to help develop jobs in our area and enhance the economy,” Corrigan notes, adding that he’s hoping to continue and enhance local community collaborations.
 

Eighty-five years after Craig Field was founded to help serve this country and move it forward, the Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority continues to provide exceptional service and economic advancement, helping business ambitions take flight.

For more information, visit craigfieldairport.com or contact (334) 874-7419 or contact@craigfieldairport.com.