AEDC contributes $653 million to area economy

This is an increase of more than $54 million from fiscal year 2006.

‘I am gratified to see these numbers because they show the continuing positive influence Arnold is having in the local community,’ said Col. Art Huber, AEDC commander.

AEDC operates the world’s largest complex of flight simulation facilities with a replacement value of more that $7.8 billion.

The total economic impact of $653.7 million includes the center’s payroll, secondary jobs created locally through the spending of that payroll, and other expenditures for supplies, utilities, fuel and services and the spin-off impact of those purchases.

AEDC employed 2,754 people in fiscal year 2007. This number includes active duty military personnel from the Air Force and Navy, government civilian, and contractor personnel. Active-duty military members made up 3 percent of the people at the center.

Using the Tennessee Valley Authority economic impact model methodology, it is estimated that an additional 1,900 secondary jobs were created in the local area, for a total of 4,654 jobs directly related to AEDC.

Examples of secondary jobs would be those created to build new houses or jobs created in local supermarkets, car dealerships and department stores.

The payroll cost for AEDC government personnel and contractor employees was more than $163 million. Other indirect expenditures were more than $279 million with the approximately $210 million in indirect spin-off impact.

Direct expenditures include money spent to pay for utilities, service contracts with outside vendors and military health insurance paid to local doctors and hospitals.

This figure does not include $148 million paid to retired military personnel in the local area. In addition, a conservative estimate is that more than $28 million is paid to government and contractor civilians who retired from AEDC and live in the local area.

A proposed Common Battlefield Airman Training facility, one of whose possible sites is the sprawling Arnold location, could pump another $150 million into the area economy, supporters of the project say. Announcement of the site selection is expected from the Defense Department in the next few weeks after a delay caused by additional environment impact studies.