King Aerospace Celebrates Quarter Century of Service
September 5, 2018
DALLAS, TX – King Aerospace Chairman and Founder Jerry King says he started his business to feed his family. That goal hasn’t substantially changed, but his definition of family has.
“I had no idea in those early days how our team would come together and how our customers would become part of the King family, too,” says King. “To say I’m proud of what we’ve created together would be a vast understatement. This anniversary is a dream come true.”
Today, this family includes nearly 200 team members and a steady influx of contractors at the Dallas, TX home office; facilities in El Paso, TX; Camp Humphreys, Korea; and Ardmore, OK. King Aerospace’s military/government global operation – King Aerospace, Inc. (KAI) – delivers responsive aircraft maintenance and logistics support services in some of the world’s most demanding operational environments. Its Oklahoma-based King Aerospace Commercial Corporation (KACC) offers Part 91, 121, 125 and 135 maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and exterior paint for VIP and VVIP aircraft, specializing in the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). Both are certified AS9110 companies. KAI was founded in 1992 and KACC in 1993. They’re celebrating the 25-year marker jointly.
The Growth of King Aerospace
KAI launched with a U.S. Air Force prime contract to support information-gathering aircraft for missile testing at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. Through the years, KAI has grown in capabilities, providing program management, modifications, global support, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
KAI has amassed expertise in aircraft maintenance and contractor logistics support for special mission C-12, DHC-7 and DHC-8 aircraft at multiple locations in the United States and overseas. It also provides like support for Boeing 737 aircraft.
KAI has successfully performed numerous ISR design, engineer, fabrication, installation, and FAA-certified modifications for major defense firms and government organizations over the years. Its agility has led it to perform specific aircraft modifications for major defense contractors wanting excellence in everything from the design to the certification of aircraft equipment – but without layers of bureaucracy and overhead. It performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on a wide variety of military and government aircraft. KAI competes against major contractors multiples of its size, often finding itself partnering with larger defense corporations to bid and work on contracts.
““Frankly, no one can match our passion,” says Jarid King, who became president of King Aerospace Companies in May 2016. “That translates to doing things right whatever it takes.”
Committed to Quality and No-Excuses Outcomes
Much of what KAI currently delivers, as a subcontractor, it can’t discuss, and its Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) rating cannot be published. While that provides marketing challenges, the KAI team says it also delivers benefits.
“For a company that delivers at a high level like ours, we appreciate that contracts get awarded on just the facts and true measurements of past performance,” says Greg Mitchell, King Aerospace director of government program operations. “It levels an increasingly competitive playing field.”
KAI operates 24/7 logistics outposts around the world, routinely supporting aircraft and personnel on deployments to some of the world’s harshest, most hostile locations. KAI has become an expert in establishing sites on short notice and maintaining teams fully prepared to deploy on a moment’s notice to the most remote places in the world.
Whether serving in a densely populated, first-world country or an isolated, war-torn region, the KAI team has proven itself. It was named contractor of the year in 2013 by the U.S. Army Fixed Wing Program Office and has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration for excellence and as the region’s outstanding prime contractor. The Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) named KAI the recipient of its Joseph P. Cribbins Department of the Army Civilian of the Year Award.
Earning Their Wings – Every Project, Every Day
The wings of the King logo don’t come with the uniform. Team members earn them – and can lose them. Peers determine who demonstrates wing-worthy behavior. It takes a commitment to the company’s cornerstone principles. A couple of the most referenced ones: quality in everything – no excuses – and proactive, problem-solving attitudes. These values mean everything, especially when serving warfighters whose lives are at risk.
“Our aviation support services have stood the test of time because we’re loyal to our principles, our gold wings and each other,” says Jarid King. “Our customers know us to be open, honest and hardworking. They choose to work with us because of our demonstrated values. With us, everything’s on the table. If there’s an issue with a mission or aircraft, we own it and operate with full transparency. Customers appreciate being kept in the know and seeing our solution take shape real time.”
As a privately owned company, KAI does not release its financials, but the company is on track to achieve a record-breaking year by achieving 30-plus percent increase over 2017. It projects continued growth.
Members of KAI’s management team will attend the Air, Space & Cyber Symposium in National Harbor, MD, Sept. 17-19, Booth #344. To learn more, visit KingAerospace.com.