At Beal Aerospace Technology's website the "Jobs" page reads in part: "Beal Aerospace is now about 175 people strong and growing day-by-day. Anticipated employment is expected to grow to approximately 220 people by April
1999. Currently, Beal is looking for a broad spectrum of aggressive technical staff with experience in avionics and electrical engineering, propulsion (including pneumatics and valve design), mechanical design, composite manufacturing, fabrication, launch and test operations."
At the page on current news one finds: "Industry analysts say Mr. Beal is distinguished as a serious smaller contender by his deep pockets and the army of 170 space engineers he has assembled in the 113,000-square-foot research and assembly plant he built in Frisco, a Collin County boom town."
Do the math. Of 175 total employees, 170 are reported to be "space engineers".
That works out to be 97.14 percent of the total work force. The projected increase for the work within the next year, since the publication of the article, March 18, 1999 in the Dallas Morning News is 45 employees.
That increase works out to be 25 percent. If the current ratio maintains of 97 percent "space engineers" to all others, that means an increase of .94 percent of non-engineer employees.
Let's say that this ratio is too high. How can we then determine what kinds of employees Beal is expecting to hire? Well let's take Beal’s word. If we investigate the "Jobs" page further, one will find the following jobs listed:
- CO-OP Propulsion Engineer: requires sophomore year completion of Heat &
Thermodynamics classes. (One can assume this means university level study.) - GNC Analyst: Education: High School. Experience: Laboratory or chemical operations preferred Electrical, mechanical or plumbing experience a plus.
- Administrative Assistant : High School education required
- Operator, H2O2 Concentration: 5-10 years experience in exporting, specifically
dealing with ITAR, EAR and customs issues. College degree. - Launch and Launch Site License Coordinator: College Degree – BSME / BSAE. 10+
years experience in one of the following: range safety, ground safety, flight performance
analysis, or related areas. Experience in working with FAA in connection with launch licenses and/or launch site operator's licenses. Familiarity with all FAA regulations relating to flight operations, launch operations, plus launch and launch site operator's licenses. - Security Systems Analyst: Minimum of five years experience in managing industrial physical security systems. Experienced in startup operation a must (emphasis added at web-site)Degree in related field preferred but not required.
- Configuration Management Lead: Candidates will possess a BS/BA degree with 10
to 15 years of configuration management experience.
Here are seven positions of which only one is open to a minimally qualified of person with a high school diploma. The remaining six require considerable experience and specific experience in most cases to the aerospace and Department of Defense related industries.
What is the likelihood that this type of job pool combination will change for the proposed installation at Great Pond? Not very likely!
Even at this generous rate of 14 percent (1 out of 7) that would mean a possible employee population of 20.3 out of the total 145 that required only a high school diploma and little specific experience.
Following this model of personnel distribution the remaining 124.7 employees would be required to have the same types of experiential and educational background as
the majority of the listings provided above. Anybody want to bet that it would be any different? I think not.
What numbers of Virgin Islander now or in the near future will have the educational and experiential background and skill sets to meet these types of requirements?
We ought to remember the promises made by other industrial employers as they
came to the V.I. and the subsequent influx of other than resident Virgin Islanders because of those unmet promises.
My Grandmother always told me two things about experience: 1. "Once bitten twice shy" and, 2. "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me."
Let's not be made a fool twice.
Not withstanding the probability of serious and long-term environmental damage, let's not forget the possible impact that the storage and use of volatile chemicals will present to the health of the population of St. Croix.
Great Pond provided me and many of my boyhood friends many days of recreation, particularly as Boy Scouts. The area teemed with herons, egrets, pelicans, and the ubiquitous birds we then knew as "gallings".
You can bet that with a facility the likes of the one proposed that would all be a thing of the non-recoverable past.
Many will say, who is this person, so comfortably tucked away far from our economic pain? Who is this person who abandoned St. Croix?
I'm a son of St. Croix and the Virgin Islands. Everything I am today stems from and is a direct result of the things and experiences I had when growing up in St Croix. My grandparents are buried in that soil and my heart aches at every mention of anything that could cause a disaster in my home.
It's time to start making the best choices for development and sustainable growth, and look to the long-term and sustainable future of St. Croix.
Ten good, sustainable, far-sighted engines of commerce that are non-polluting and environmentally friendly hiring 14 to 15 people apiece could provide that same employment as the proposed Beal facility. Granted the tax revenue would not be as grand but the impact on the health, environment, and legacy of St. Croix would not be as catastrophic.
Please reconsider this Beal thing before it's too late.
L.A. Davis
Fort Washington, Maryland
