DANVILLE, Va. – Elizabeth Rembold and her husband are the third generation of their family to run General Aviation, the company that manages Danville Regional Airport FBO.
But after nearly three-quarters of a century, the family business may be about to go out of business.
"Well, it'd be like taking our life away. It's all (my husband) has ever done," Elizabeth Rembold said.
At the end of 2016, after months of fruitless contract negotiations between the airport commission and the company, the airport commission decided that it was time to start looking for other companies to potentially manage the airport.
"They wanted stipulations in the lease that, should the runway close, they wanted the city to reimburse them up to $10,000 per month," airport commission chairman Gene Jackson explained.
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed some of the runways in 2013 for repair.
The Rembolds claim that caused them to lose a lot of money because fewer jets were flying in and out of the airport while the repairs were being made, but Jackson says no documents have ever been presented to prove this.
Additionally, Jackson said, while the repairs were being made, the commission offered to help offset the loss in revenue.
"We offered them a $1 per month rent, waiving all utilities, waiving their fuel flow fee. They declined to accept that," said Jackson.
Elizabeth said she doesn't know how she and her husband would get by if they lose the business.
"Not sure what (my husband) would do," she said. "I have taught school before, but at my age, I'm not sure I could get a teaching job."
When the city sent out a request for proposals for companies interested in managing the airport FBO, Averett University submitted a proposal.
Jackson said Averett's proposal was chosen because it was more professional than the Rembolds' proposal, which he says included letters of reference from people who are dead and did not include the financial information requested.
"This will provide the opportunity to have hands-on experience in participating managing an FBO (fixed-base operator)," said Averette University business and finance vice president Aaron Howell. "It certainly provides an additional opportunity for a laboratory as such."
Other local universities, such as Virginia Tech and Liberty, manage their local airports' FBOs.
Howell said when the opportunity arose to manage Danville's airport's FBO, Averett wanted to make sure another university didn't take it.
"I think anytime a university can look to diversify its revenue base, from things other than direct tuition, over the long run can help us contain the cost of higher education," he said.
The Rembolds' contract expires July 30.
As of Monday, a special committee was in the process of interviewing the airport commissioners about their decision to recommend Averett's proposal.
The committee will present its findings to City Council in the next few weeks and then the council will decide which proposal to go with.