Private Firms May Come To Dobbins: Report

MARIETTA, GA — Legislation being considered in the U.S. Congress could bring about a business boom at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, according to a media report. A defense bill passed Wednesday by the U.S. House of Representatives would allow private companies to use the runway at Dobbins, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported.

Under current federal law, the runway and control tower can only be used by the U.S. military and Lockheed Martin, which builds military planes in a plant next to the base. The law would be changed by an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2018, said Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga.

Allowing private businesses to use Dobbins "would open a whole new realm of possibilities" for the Marietta area, Loudermilk said in a statement. "Dobbins ... is prime real estate for research, development, transportation, and disaster relief services. With the support of the Air Force, Lockheed and the local community, the door is now open for the continued growth and expansion of Dobbins [Air Reserve Base] and Cobb County.”

Loudermilk thanked Sens. David Perdue, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., for getting the Dobbins amendment into the U.S. Senate's version of the NDAA. The Senate is expected to consider the final version of the bill after Thanksgiving, the Business Chronicle reported.

Perdue, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the Business Chronicle that public-private partnerships could create jobs at Dobbins, offset the airbase's operating costs, and "create a stronger relationship with the surrounding community."

In its manufacturing plant at Dobbins, Lockheed builds and modifies the C-130 Hercules and C-5 Galaxy cargo planes, as well as the F-35, a next-generation fighter jet. Other tenants at the airbase include the Georgia National Guard headquarters, which employs 15,000 civilians and uniformed personnel, and Georgia Tech Research Institute, with about 1,000 high-tech jobs.

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