New Year Offers New Opportunities for King Aerospace to Serve
December 18, 2024
As the New Year approaches, King Aerospace has redoubled its efforts to win new U.S. defense contracts to provide long-term predictability and success while also maintaining high levels of service to all its civilian, government and military customers.
King Aerospace offers a broad portfolio of services, from maintenance and refurbishment on Boeing Business Jets to supporting entire fleets of specialized military aircraft. However, the company is perhaps best known for its on-site contractor logistics support (CLS) capabilities.
“Every project is near and dear to our hearts,” says company President Jarid King, “but the ability to serve our country and the men and women in uniform is really how King Aerospace demonstrates service greater than self.”
In addition to supporting all branches of the U.S. military, King Aerospace has also been a trusted CLS provider for multiple government agencies including the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP.)
The company has earned a strong reputation for providing such on-site work. “We operate in a very specific niche,” says Keith Weaver, vice-president of business development. “Bigger companies like manufacturing things and selling the government billions of dollars in parts. We prefer the low margin work that are small potatoes for those companies.”
While such jobs may seem small, “the cost of entry is low and the risk is low,” Weaver continues. “At the same time, it’s highly rewarding to be in the field, doing the work and developing expert teams able to respond immediately to our customers’ needs.”
Service and Commitment On-Site
Current contracts include roadshow support and parts refurbishment for a U.S. Air Force platform derived from a popular widebody aircraft, as well as maintenance and refurbishment on the U.S. Presidential Fleet. The company also continues to support the U.S. Army’s Special Electronic Mission Aircraft (SEMA) program.
King Aerospace has distinguished itself with on-site support and that is where the company is focusing on new opportunities in 2025. Bids are underway to support a new U.S. Army aircraft program, a U.S. Navy transport fleet and CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) division, among other contracts.
“We are confidently pursuing these and other programs that are sustainable, multi-generational platforms,” King adds. “While it can be challenging for a smaller company like ours to go after multiple contracts, we are confident in our abilities to support every job we bid on.”
“To grow the company, we need to be more involved in more projects,” Weaver notes. “Get in the door with a large program or manufacturer, and show them firsthand what we’re good at. That brings additional opportunities for more work.”
Diversifying Operations
Such contracts performed at U.S. military bases and facilities provide other benefits as well, including the opportunity to work with contractors who may become future King Aerospace team members. On-site work also frees up space at the company’s hangars in Ardmore, OK, and Bentonville, AR, to support civilian customers.
“We’ve been incredibly successful in building a reputation for quality service and on-time results,” Weaver says of King Aerospace’s commercial services. “As we work on customers’ aircraft inside the hangar there are often one or more aircraft outside the door waiting to get in.
“At the same time, these jobs are almost always one-offs: one airplane, one project,” he adds. “Supporting a large fleet provides greater stability in strategic planning.”
Fortunately, King Aerospace has an enviable reputation for punching above its weight in meeting customers’ needs, which bolsters the company’s chances in pursuing future long-term contracts.
“Military leaders and government procurement officials know that King Aerospace cuts out the middlemen,” King says. “Our dedication to service is about far more than numbers on a quarterly financial report or the annual earnings or the dividends. It’s about our values.”
“For 35 years, we’ve provided our customers with a high level of expertise for their aircraft and flight operations,” Weaver concludes. “King Aerospace is large enough to be capable, yet small enough to be responsive while avoiding the pitfalls of big bureaucracies. We’re the fix-it team!”