Fabick Five Heliport

The closure was for private business and operational reasons. As a corporate heliport owned by Fabick Machinery Co. (now Fabick Cat), its deactivation was a direct result of the company's internal decisions. This was likely due to a combination of factors such as the sale of their corporate helicopter, a change in executive transportation strategy, or the high operational costs of maintaining a private heliport. The subsequent redevelopment of the land for facility expansion solidified its closure.

The physical site of the heliport no longer exists. An examination of historical and current satellite imagery shows that the former location—a grassy area on the southwest side of the main Fabick Cat building—has been completely redeveloped. The land is now an expanded gravel yard used for storing heavy equipment and materials, and part of the area is covered by a new building extension. The entire site is an active part of the Fabick Cat industrial facility.

Fabick Five Heliport, which held the FAA identifier 1LL3, was a private-use facility. It was not open to the public and handled no commercial or general aviation traffic. Its sole purpose was to support the business operations of Fabick Machinery Co., a major Caterpillar dealer in the Midwest. The heliport facilitated rapid travel for company executives and personnel, connecting their Marion facility with other branches, customer work sites, and regional airports. Its significance is tied to the corporate history of Fabick Cat, representing an era when private helicopter transport was a key logistical tool for the company.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the Fabick Five Heliport. The original site has been permanently repurposed and built over, making a reopening at that location impossible. Fabick Cat has not made any public announcements indicating an intention to construct a new heliport at their Marion facility.