Kim BrattainFounder/ CEO, Kim Brattain Media · Award-winning Corporate and Documentary Film Producer

Jerry Orr - The Man Behind Charlotte Douglas Airport | Kim Brattain Media

22 Dec 2013 · 3 min

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2:55

In this monologue, Jerry Orr outlines the core principles and recent achievements of Charlotte Douglas Airport. He emphasizes the airport’s two enduring goals—delivering the highest quality product at the lowest possible cost—and credits this philosophy for the airport’s success, airline partnerships, and the Eagle Award as the world’s best airport in 2009. Orr describes the completion of runway paving and its opening in January 2010, noting the logistical challenge of moving 10 million yards of dirt to raise the runway above the interstate, a solution chosen for cost efficiency and environmental friendliness. He explains the strategic placement of a new rail yard adjacent to the runway and interstate, highlighting the mutual benefits for the railroad. Orr also details an ambitious waste‑recycling program aiming to recycle 70 % of airport waste within five years and to turn garbage collection into a profit center. Throughout, he shares a pragmatic leadership mindset: observe, learn from what works, replicate successful practices, and decisively address problems.

Chapters

We really did get famous for the rocking chairs. Everybody, everybody likes to be treated nicely. We only have 2 goals, and it's the same every year. The highest quality product at the lowest possible cost. And it's not an either/or, anybody can do that. It's both at the same time. And I think that's the foundation that has made us successful. It's why the airlines like us. It's why we won the Eagle Award 2 years ago as the best airport in the world. This is 2009, and since then we have We finished all the paving, opened this runway in January of 2010. It was paid for the day we opened it. The rail yard will go right in here, and of course we had to move the dirt out of somewhere to build the runway because we had to get the runway up above the interstate so the pilots wouldn't try to land on the interstate. And the closest place, therefore the cheapest place, and the most environmentally friendly place to get that dirt was right here adjacent to the runway. So we took 10 million yards out of there and moved it over here. What did the railroad get out of this? They got a 3-mile-long piece of land in an environment where it's already noisy, immediately adjacent to the interstate highway that connects the 2 interstates running through Charlotte. Our goal is to recycle 70% of the waste flow coming off the airport, and we believe that within 5 years, collecting garbage will be a profit center. We will actually make money off of garbage. Well, I'm not all that smart, but I'm smart enough to, to look around, be alert, and see things that other people do and figure out what works good, what's transferable, and what's not. You know, and it goes back, if it works, do more of it. If it doesn't work, try not to do that. Sometimes you just have to grab the bull by the horn and throw his ass on the ground.