Commercial Real Estate Story Way Off Base

The slant of “Clean Sweep” [Commercial Real Estate, Feb. 24] was that small manufacturing companies were literally being shown the door by cities such as Burbank in favor of providing space to high-tech and entertainment companies. The article featured M.S. Aerospace Inc. as an example of this type of municipal behavior.

Melinda Fulmer was incredibly off base in her slant as applied to M.S. Aerospace. This company moved to Burbank from Sylmar after the 1994 earthquake. The president of the company requested relief from Burbank at that time, and Burbank helped in all reasonable manners in order to assist M.S. in its move to Burbank. This is hardly the behavior of a city which is not interested in small manufacturers. Since 1994, M.S. has had the best of relationships with the city of Burbank and its personnel.

Indeed, in 1996, after the business of M.S. had more than tripled and its employee base more than doubled, M.S. first went to Burbank to discuss the availability of larger space where M.S. could either purchase an existing structure or purchase land to build upon. Only after it was determined that M.S. could not acquire suitable property did M.S. inform Burbank’s officials that it was compelled to relocate to Sylmar.

Additionally, Ms. Fulmer reported that M.S. relocated to Sylmar after acquiring land and building its new manufacturing headquarters. The motivation of M.S. with respect to its relocation was based entirely upon sound business judgment and economics, not due to any failure of the city of Burbank to support the business of M.S., or upon the imagined desire of Burbank to discard M.S. in favor of some new Disney wannabe.

M.S. has always been very impressed with the personnel of the city of Burbank and has found them to be forthcoming in all respects.

CHARLES E. McLEAN

Attorney

Woodland Hills