Air Worthy

Savannah-area aviation companies flying high

Already famous for its busy, deep-water port, Savannah’s aviation and aerospace industry is adding to the reputation of Georgia’s Coastal Empire as an economic powerhouse for the state.

“This industry is exploding like a volcano,” says Gail Oberg, head of human resources for Savannah Air Center (SAC), a high-end “completions and maintenance facility” that takes raw-looking aircraft — primarily from Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier — and turns them into dazzling showpieces. Since the beginning of 2007, SAC has grown by 100 employees and is continually taking applications for new openings. In February, it opened a new 100,000-square-foot hangar, doubling its capacity.

At the beginning of this summer, SAC had 85 positions to fill. To help find and prepare team members, SAC has partnered with Quick Start to provide training in cabinetry, interior installation, upholstery, aviation terminology, precision measurement, and hand and power tools.

“Quick Start has been a valuable partner in helping us accommodate the growth of our company,” Oberg says.

Piece maker

SAC’s nearby neighbor, LMI Aerospace, Inc., is another Savannah-area company that is expanding its facility and increasing its hiring thanks to the thriving aviation business. The company assembles “kits,” or sets of materials, that Gulfstream then puts together as part of the “skin” of its aircraft, an innovative production method that allows more timely and efficient delivery of components for manufacturing its products.

“Quick Start has developed training around the processes we use,” says Phil Lajeunesse, general manager at LMI. Quick Start has provided training in mapping and kit assembly, leadership, safety, math, and blueprint reading. The company estimates that it will grow to nearly 30 employees by the end of the year and 50 in the next few years. “But that may happen faster than we first thought.”

Lajeunesse said that the company had recently secured new business from Aviation Partners Boeing to prepare kits for modifying the wings of its aircraft with an innovative new product that dramatically increases fuel efficiency.

“Our sales volume is going up significantly,” he says, “and that means we’ll be ramping up personnel. Quick Start is helping us do that.”

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