TRI-COUNTY AIRPORT

Tri-County Airport opens new terminal

Story and Photo By LewiS hoggard

The wait was worth it! The brand-new terminal on Henry Joyner Field at Tri-County Airport opened last week. The modern well-designed terminal now welcomes visitors by air to Bertie, Hertford and Northampton counties. The old terminal had long since served its purpose and needed to be replaced many years ago.

A first impression only happens once. Now visitors from prospective businesses and from current employers will be greeted upon arrival at the airport by a state-of-the-art facility. The new terminal has over 3,000 square feet of space including a conference room for meetings at the airport. Representatives from Perdue and Republic Services were present to celebrate, and also donated for the purchase of furniture for the terminal. $1.4 million was spent on the facility with the funding from the Division of Aviation of North Carolina Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration program. Around 10,000 aircraft operations are done a year at the airport. The airport has 4,500-hundred-foot runway, that was first paved in 1965.

Bertie County Commission Chair Tammy Lee hosted the ribboncutting for the terminal, as well as serving as the Chair of Tri-County Airport Commission. On the commission from Bertie County and attending the event were Bertie County Chief Deputy Kenny Perry and Steve Biggs, Bertie County Economic Developer.

Additionally, Commissioners Ron Wesson and Ron Roberson were present as well as Bertie County Manager Juan Vaughan II.

Commissioner Tammy Lee said, “We are absolutely thrilled with this beautiful facility” and she went on to thank all of the parties involved including Henry Joyner, who is the general manager of Tri-County Airport and the namesake for Henry Joyner Field.

Joyner actually cut the ribbon. The late Hertford County Commissioner Johnnie Ray Farmer was thanked for his work on this project and his widow, Paula Farmer accepted a plaque on his behalf.

North Carolina Rep. Howard J. Hunter, III was thanked for his work in the North Carolina legislature on this project as well as Rep. Michael Wray. Trey Lewis representing Senator Tom Tillis’s office and Betty Jo Shephard from Senator Richard Burr’s Office were present at the ceremony.

The importance of this new terminal and the impression that it makes on businesses looking to relocate was echoed by Biggs.

“Imagine the owner of a manufacturing company visiting our area to potentially relocate before the building of this facility landing and seeing the old decrepit terminal might tell his pilot keep the engine running because we are not staying.”

The terminal certainly states by its appearance that this area is in the 21st Century. The Wilson Group were the architects of the building with Talbert & Bright Engineering as the planning consultants. Calvin Davenport, Inc. was the general contractor. The Windsor/Bertie Chamber and Ahoskie Chamber served as hosts for the event. A much larger celebration is planned for when Covid-19 conditions are better.

Lewis Hoggard is Executive Director of the Windsor/Bertie County Chamber of Commerce.

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