Growth Leads to Facility Expansion
May 27, 2020
DALLAS, TX – King Aerospace is outgrowing its four hangars’ 200,000 square feet of space at the 2,900-acre Ardmore Industrial Airpark, northeast of Ardmore, OK. The company has enjoyed consistent year-over-year growth in its services, which include maintenance, avionics, paint and interior refurbishment.
King Aerospace is finalizing plans to build a new hangar that will add 90,000 square feet, a 45% increase. This additional footage will accommodate multiple large aircraft and shop facilities that will support large aircraft interior projects. In addition to VVIP aircraft, the Ardmore facility provides depot services for military and government aircraft. Construction could take a year to 15 months.
The Dallas-based, worldwide provider of corporate and military aviation services has enjoyed a presence at the airpark – part of the Ardmore Municipal Airport (ADM) – since 1993. Founder Jerry King was especially attracted by the two runways. The longest, at 9,000 feet, accommodates commercial airliners and ultra-long-range business jets. The other, at 5,300 feet, serves turboprop planes, and light-to-midsize jets. A BNSF railroad spur, solid utilities and the benefits of a rural location were also advantages. His son, company President Jarid King, says the relationship with the city of Ardmore has only grown over the years.
“We appreciate the city’s ongoing improvements to infrastructure and commitment to help companies like King Aerospace grow,” says Jarid King. “Our city partners are always there for us, helping in ways large and small.”
The airpark started life as a World War II-era U.S. Army Base. Ardmore continues to invest in the airpark, including a reconstructed control tower that opened in 2018. To accommodate clients from around the world, King Aerospace developed and opened its own restaurant concept – JAKE’s Joint, named for Jerry Allan King-Echevarria (JAKE). The menu offers a mix of chef-prepared, gourmet cuisine and old-style, country favorites.
“The level of food served reflects our overall commitment to excellence,” says King. “We like our clients to leave satisfied in ways large and small, and they almost always do. We live by our motto, ‘No excuses.’”
Ardmore sits between DFW International (Dallas) and Will Rogers World Airport (Oklahoma City). Each is 90 miles away. King Aerospace’s corporate aircraft division supports VVIP aircraft, specializing in the Boeing Business Jet, and serves as a primary subcontractor for the company’s military/government aircraft division. The Ardmore location acts as a full-service maintenance and modification depot facility, is AS9110C certified, is a FAA and EASA certified repair station, and offers avionics, interiors, modifications and paint. On any given day, walking through the Ardmore facilities, you might see everything from a head-of-state aircraft getting an interior upgrade to a business magnate’s BBJ undergoing engine maintenance and repair.
About King Aerospace
King Aerospace Commercial Corporation (KACC) is a leading one-stop provider of aircraft services with offices and facilities in Dallas, TX, and at Ardmore Industrial Airpark in Ardmore, OK. KACC is a GE OnPoint™ service center. It specializes in avionics design/installation, interior design/refurbishment, engineering services, maintenance and paint. KACC is an authorized FAA and EASA Repair Station and is AS9110C-certified. It also provides aircraft project management, offsite maintenance and other aircraft-related management services. Its sister company, King Aerospace, Inc. (KAI), is a global operation that serves the U.S. military and government to deliver responsive aircraft maintenance and logistics support in some of the world’s most hostile, remote and harsh locations. KAI operates facilities at Biggs Army Airfield, El Paso, TX; Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, NM; Camp Humphreys, South Korea; and 24/7 logistics outposts around the world. Founded in 1992, King Aerospace is a privately owned company focused on customer and team member satisfaction. KingAerospace.com