By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
ST. LOUIS – The head of an electronic stock trading firm has plans to build a six million dollar cargo facility at Mid-America Airport in St. Clair County.
John Hewitt, the president of H-Trading, is leading the effort to secure private financing for the 62,000 square foot facility.
It would be part of a proposed Midwest-China cargo hub, storing products that US companies are shipping back to China.
Hewitt said that he has yet to ink deals with companies who would supply those products, but he's willing to take the risk.
"Based on the results of the delegation's visit, I do believe that we're going to get an opportunity to try and make a business happen," Hewitt said.
Hewitt also said that there would need to be multiple daily flights between China and the Midwest within five years to make his investment worth it.
The Chinese government could make a decision on the cargo hub soon.
St. Clair County board chairman Mark Kern is applauding Hewitt's efforts to build the facility and looks forward to having Heweitt as a tenant at the airport.
"I think this says good things about the market, about the region, about the local potential for international cargo as a whole," Kern said.
Hewitt would build the facility and lease the land from St. Clair County.