While the statistics about Memphis and the demands being generated in the cargo, business and passenger areas are impressive, the Aerotropolis vision would simply not have been possible if the community were not united behind it.

The growth of the Memphis Aerotropolis is a key element in the MemphsED, the community's largest ever-economic development initiative. More than $60 million in programme management is dedicated to seeing this multi-phased, multi-project initiative is carried out to a successful conclusion.

On a micro scale Memphis takes its responsibilities to providing its neighbouring communities not only with economic opportunities, but also a safe, accessible and ascetically pleasing environment, very seriously.

Guiding these principles is the Memphis Airport Development Corporation (MAADC), a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to community and economic development around the airport.

More than just an anti-litter organisation or zoning advocate, MAADC is focused on a range of issues from business retention and expansion, improving the local environment to public safety programmes.

MAADC is guided by a board of directors comprised of senior executives from founding members and MAADC area business leaders including Belz Enterprises, CB Richard Ellis, Elvis Presley Enterprises, FedEx and First Tennessee Bank, to name but a few.

The founding principles of MAADC are that the Memphis Airport area should be; an attractive and inspiring gateway into Memphis; a catalytic business centre for the region; a tourist and visitor destination and a diverse residential neighbourhood with exemplary services.

New enhancements to realise this vision include work to improve local infrastructure, such as construction of Elvis Presley Boulevard and Brooks Gateway, which began in 2009, a landscape masterplan for I-240/Plough Boulevard and efforts to establish code violation and enforcement on the Airways Boulevard Corridor.

The potential of the Memphis Areotropolis to benefit the surrounding community was also recognised early on by the Greater Memphis Chamber, which established the Aerotropolis Steering Committee in 2006 to work with the airport authority to capitalise on the region's logistics assets and revitalise the neighbourhoods bordering the airport.

The committee works closely with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority (MSCAA) and strong leadership has led to dramatic results.