KACC’s Jack Vanderslice on the Importance of ‘King Kulture’

August 12, 2025

Servant leadership, the Cornerstone Principles and other tenets of King Kulture all carry deep meaning for every single person working at King Aerospace, from those on the hangar floor and the flight line to company managers and leadership.

Those wearing King Aerospace wings know, first and foremost, they are all part of a team focused on doing the right thing, for the right reasons.

“Our culture, including our mission statement – ‘To make a positive difference in the lives of those we employ, we serve, and we encounter, and earn a fair profit’ – and the Cornerstone Principles makes it easier to make tough decisions,” says Jack Vanderslice, controller for King Aerospace Commercial Corporation (KACC) in Ardmore, OK.

“Does this decision uphold our culture?” he continues. “If not, go back to the drawing board and find the decision that does uphold the culture. It will be the correct decision, and you will not have to backtrack.”

These attitudes ensure customers are completely satisfied with their experience with King Aerospace. Vanderslice recalls a couple of distinct experiences that exemplify, in his words, “the best examples of how our culture affects each of us, and our customers.”

One involved work on a Boeing 737, long before King Aerospace had developed its reputation for expert maintenance, repair, overhaul and refurbishment of the type. Vanderslice notes an earlier job had left a positive impression with the customer.

“We’d painted a Gulfstream for him a few years before,” he explains. “He told me that he knew we weren’t 737 maintenance experts – yet – but he felt that our culture meshed well with that of the company he proudly worked for.

“King Kulture is the reason he brought his 737 here for maintenance,” Vanderslice adds. “And he’s returned to King Aerospace for maintenance several times throughout the years.”

Another example involved a prime contract to paint a government agency’s aircraft. “We were in the process of delivering one of their aircraft, and I was visiting with one of the maintenance guys that was here for the RTS (return to service),” Vanderslice says.

“He couldn’t say enough about how each of our team members are committed to doing the job right the first time, and that it was very clear that everyone here loves what they do,” he continues. “He also said he hoped he could bring his boss with him the next time, because he needed to see how King Kulture here fosters a very positive outcome.”

Company’s Growth is No Accident

Vanderslice emphasizes testimonials like these highlight the importance of King Kulture not only to the company, but in retaining valued customers and bringing in new business.

“When I started here, we painted about 5-6 aircraft each year,” he says. “Now, there are years when we will paint over 50 aircraft for Boeing and other OEMs, as well as for government agencies and other corporate and Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) customers.”

Similarly, KACC’s maintenance department has evolved from “basically only performing maintenance on [military] aircraft” to become a premier BBJ maintenance facility, with contracts with multiple U.S. and international agencies and on programs as diverse as privately-owned BBJs to aircraft operated by the U.S. Army and in the country’s executive fleet.

“And we do this with only 100 teammates!” Vanderslice continues. “I truly believe the reason for this growth is simply due to our culture, and I’m not just saying that; I have heard it from our customers. Once your customers are talking about your culture, you know it makes you different from all the rest.”

Such experiences also drive home the need to continue to foster that culture. Vanderslice notes two options for anyone who may need “a boost,” or a reminder that makes working at King Aerospace a special experience.

“I’ve had the opportunity to conduct the King Kulture Training here at KACC many times over the years,” he says. “Conduct a training class and you will get that boost. The feedback and honest input that come alive during these classes are extraordinary.”

Attendees frequently remark they’ve never experienced training like at King Aerospace, Vanderslice continues. “The comments about the class are always extremely positive, and there are relationships formed during these classes that last forever.”

Providing facility tours is another way for teammates to espouse King Kulture. “These tours always leave a lasting impression on the people that tour our facility,” he says. “They see the culture in the actions of our teammates, and they talk about it during the tours and, I am sure, long after the tour is over.”

Vanderslice saw this himself while giving a tour of KACC Ardmore earlier this year. “This individual was in the manufacturing business,” he recalls. “Upon completion of the tour, he stated that working with King Aerospace would be lifechanging – his word! – for himself and his business.

“He wasn’t talking about a 70 year-old hangar,” Vanderslice emphasized. “He meant the people and the culture of our workplace.”