On Wednesday night, Brown County's Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to give daily control of Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport to Vantage Group Services LLC, an airport management company based in Vancouver. The board considered making this change after seeing that Austin Straubel was serving significantly fewer passengers than neighboring airports and wanted to bring in outside expertise to help the airport grow and compete more effectively. After a 21-minute presentation from Vantage executives, the board approved the agreement. This decision will influence how the airport is managed and what it costs to operate for years ahead.
Enterprise Funds
Austin Straubel does not use property taxes for funding. Instead, it operates as an enterprise fund, which means the airport must pay for itself. Salaries, upgrades, and maintenance are covered by landing fees, parking, and airline deals. The county owns and oversees the airport, but its finances are separate. This setup is common for airports, utilities, and other large public assets, and it is why hiring Vantage does not affect county taxes. Vantage will receive $950,000 in management fees each year and a $350,000 startup payment, all paid from the airport’s own revenue, as planned. However, since the airport depends on fees from travelers and airlines, there is a possibility that these charges could rise in the future to cover higher management costs. Passengers could see higher parking fees or service charges, and airlines might face fee increases that are sometimes passed on to ticket prices.
Vantage Group
Vantage Group has managed airports since 1994 and now operates facilities in Canada, the United States, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Cyprus. It is not a nonprofit or a government contractor. Instead, it is owned by a private equity fund called Investcorp Corsair Infrastructure Partners.
The Costs
Brown County still owns the airport and its land, but now a company makes the day-to-day decisions. The contract rewards Vantage if they increase revenue or ridership: they receive incentive payments if annual ridership increases by 3% or more, or if revenue exceeds $2.5 million. This is common in management contracts. While there is a risk that Vantage could focus on increasing prices to boost profits, there are also possible benefits for travelers. Vantage has experience introducing upgraded terminals, new dining options, better digital services, and expanded flight offerings at other airports they manage. Passengers at Austin Straubel could see improved amenities, faster check-in, or more flight choices as Vantage works to attract more riders and airlines. However, when a company’s profit depends on getting more money from a fixed asset, the easiest way is often to raise prices for travelers, not to lower operating costs. Higher parking fees, more expensive concessions, and new charges can all help meet contract goals without actually improving the airport for the people who use it. Looking at the costs shows the trade-off clearly. Vantage’s arrival eliminated three airport staff jobs: director, assistant director, and marketing and communications manager. Together, these positions cost the county just over $326,000 in the 2026 budget. Vantage’s management fee alone is almost three times that amount, not counting the startup payment or any bonuses. The county hopes that Vantage’s experience and resources will increase revenue enough to cover the shortfall. However, two supervisors said the process was not transparent, noting that the public only learned about the plan a day before the vote, even though discussions had been ongoing for about a year.
Why did this happen?
To be fair, the county believes Austin Straubel needs to catch up. Last year, it served 723,245 passengers, while Appleton International handled 1,267,634. Officials said this gap was a main reason for hiring outside help. Vantage’s incentives are capped and depend on real growth, not guaranteed profits. Over the next five years, the length of the first contract, Brown County residents will be able to judge whether this is enough to keep the company’s profit motive in check.
Photo by Amsterdam City Archives / Unsplash
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