We’ve talked about how regaining air service in St. Cloud will improve outbound flights for both leisure and business travel, but what about inbound flights?
I recently chatted about this topic with Cary Simon, human resources director at greater St. Cloud-based DeZURIK. A market leader in municipal and industrial valve manufacturing, DeZURIK relies heavily on dependable transportation to operate its global company.
Read the Q&A with Cary below to find out how not having air service impacts DeZURIK.
How much inbound traffic does DeZURIK bring in?
Our customers travel to the corporate headquarters in Sartell, Minn., to inspect products as they’re being built. I’d say we average at least one client every week. DeZURIK also has a global network of more than 75 representative sales offices, which means vendors frequently come from all over the world for training. And with production facilities in Toronto, Chicago and Seattle, personnel travel to Sartell all the time. Plus, inspectors fly in to our headquarters’ state-of-the-art technical center for product testing.
How has DeZURIK been affected since St. Cloud lost air service?
I’ve been at DeZURIK for three years – so since Delta pulled out 2009 – and I can definitely say we’ve lost the convenience of having a local air carrier. Driving to MSP is unreliable due to traffic congestion, and you need to add several hours to your commute to ensure you’ll arrive on time. Plus, you have to pay for parking.
How does air service impact elements related to your job as human resources director?
Flying direct into St. Cloud eliminates the hassle of having to pick up important visitors at MSP. Having our own airport also gives the perception that we’re more than a bedroom community for the metro area.
You’ve heard how air service affects DeZURIK’s inbound traffic; now tell us how it impacts your business. Share your company’s story in the comments section below to help us make the case for air service that will help our region thrive. Let’s Go!
