Tools

Bob East. It’s ironic how such a specific moniker describes a man whose interests lie along all points of the compass. He’s not just a construction executive; he’s a mountain climber. A technology geek and deep sea fisherman. A runner whose footprints traversed the Grand Canyon and a commercial pilot who’s been through hundreds of airports.

Bob East, of East-Harding Construction is about all directions, and as chairman of the Little Rock National Airport Commission, he and the other commissioners want flights in every which way as well. You see, an airport is an economic development engine, he said. Businesses and conventions seeking a new home demand accessibility. Create an airport that allows people to get anywhere easily, and like anything that moves in all directions, the city will grow.

The airport’s planned $175 million terminal expansion project—the first phase that begins in early 2011 is only $53 million—gives Little Rock the opportunity to do just that, East said. Expansion plans first started with the need to move the baggage X-ray machines out of the lobby per the Transportation Security Administration. The approximately $20 million automated bagging-handling revisions will make the whole check-in process more efficient, but that has less to do with the commission’s ambitions.

Same thing for the energy-efficiency upgrades, which the commission originally wanted to do four years ago. Projected to save the airport about $700,000 a year in utility costs, their inclusion in the expansion plans were just common sense, East said. “Then we just started looking at the rest of the terminal and all the systems, and we felt like if we were going to keep up in aviation, we needed to be planning long-term because it takes easily 10 years to conceive, plan and build a terminal,” he said.

To figure out what the aviation industry would need in terminals a decade from now, the commission turned to an airport technology consultant. “We found out that we better have plenty of technology available, and we better be really flexible,” East said. No matter how the industry changes, the common-use terminal will be relevant, but the number of airlines is decreasing, he said. “Who knows, there might be three major airlines in three years, and they might decide they want to do things a different way. You better be ready to do whatever it takes.”

For LIT, that preparation means greater broadband capacity. “We must have the backbone and infrastructure to support a huge demand for bandwidth increases and distribution all through the terminal,” he said. And not just for airlines, which now rely heavily on technology for online ticketing, interchangeability at terminal gates and more; passengers must also be considered. “Everybody is using some type of connection to the Internet, and that is just going to expand exponentially.”

Leaders are excited about the updates. “This substantial facelift is going to mark what aviation means to our state for the 21st century,” Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola said. “It’s something that will last us for the next 40 years, and that’s very important.” The expansion requires no taxes and no additional costs to airlines or passengers.

The commission has ambitions for international flights. “It’s something we fully expect will happen in the next five years, but we have to have enough demand that, when we build and open a customs facility, it’s going to be used and continue to be used,” East said. Although LIT will never be a hub like Atlanta, the smaller scale can be attractive to the airlines, which save money on fuel costs because it’s not necessary to circle before landing, he said. In a day and age where “flying is kind of like going to the dentist,” passengers should find that aspect attractive as well, he said. “We’re small enough to be a family kind of airport but big enough to take you anywhere you want to go. There aren’t long walks, our security lines aren’t prohibitive, the gates are close—it’s just a pleasant flying experience.”

That’s the overarching, sole direction the commission plans to keep steering toward, no matter how much Little Rock and its airport grow.

On Board With East

To what do you attribute your career success?
Good friends and knowing that your reputation is something that takes a long time to build but a short time to lose. I have a lot of long-term clients that have been with me for 20 years, and I think the reason they stay is not because I don’t ever make mistakes, but when I do, I try to fix them.

You're active with many organizations. What motivates you?
I just feel like it gives me a good perspective on things, and I like to be involved. We built our business around people being involved in different things. It connects you to your community, and that’s the way communities grow.

Green practices are becoming commonplace in construction. Any insights on that trend?
BE: Energy efficiency should be stressed more than solar, wind or ethanol energy. Energy efficiency means barrels of oil. It’s not just about saving money; it’s saving energy.