Aviation suppliers court customers in Orlando

Matt Henry, the president of Appearance Group, based in Wichita, is seeing some positive traction and trends in general aviation.

That’s good for his business detailing the interiors and exteriors of airplanes.

“We’re seeing (customers) have a sustained period of activity,” Henry said. “Owner-operators are more receptive to utilizing our services as well.”

His company was busy ahead of the National Business Aviation Association’s annual convention in Orlando getting customers’ airplanes ready for display at the Orlando Executive Airport, where they were seen over the past three days by thousands of attendees.

Appearance Group also is exhibiting at the show inside the Orange County Convention Center.

“What we’re looking for this week is to continue to build on the relationships we have with our current customers – because we can see them all in one place – and have opportunities for new customers,” Henry said.

Appearance Group was among the dozens of Kansas firms that were represented at the NBAA show, where companies hope to build on the networks that will help them win business in the weeks and years to come.

The Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition has had good traffic at the show.

“We’ve had a lot of meetings and we had some good walk-up traffic,” siad Tammy Nolan, with the GWEDC. “We feel like we have a good pipeline of opportunities from this show.”

Don Smith, senior manager at Capps Manufacturing, agrees.

“I’m cautiously optimistic. I feel like it’s been productive,” Smith said. “The networking opportunities were everything they should be.”

Paul Jonas is with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research – one of GWEDC’s partners at the show. He says attending NBAA allows him to see customers face-to-face.

“A lot of these people I never see in person,” Jonas said, although NIAR does a lot of testing for them.

As a side benefit, Jonas also gets to see many of his past associates with whom he has worked in Wichita.

“It’s Alumni Day,” Jonas joked.

Many exhibitors and attendees at the show work or have worked in Wichita at some point in their careers.

“It puts focus on the idea of Wichita being the Air Capital of the World with how many people come through Wichita, how much technology comes through Wichita,” Jonas said. “You would be hard pressed in here to find anyone who didn’t know about Wichita.”

Bob Kiser, president of Winglet Technology in Wichita, is promoting a new product at NBAA – a specially designed winglet for Cessna Citation Sovereign business jets already in service.

The addition of winglets, vertical extensions of the wing, gives an aircraft better range due to reduced aerodynamic drag and saves fuel.

Winglet Technology also developed winglets for Cessna’s Citation X.

On the Sovereign, the company recently completed flight testing of the winglet on a flying prototype. It found the winglets increased the maximum range of the Sovereign significantly, Kiser said.

The winglets will be offered as an aftermarket upgrade. The company is taking orders. Entry into service is expected in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Winglet Technology looked into getting the winglets built locally, but wasn’t able to find a suitable fit. Instead, Ducommun AeroStructures in Monrovia, Calif., builds the parts.

Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings launched a color management system at the show. It’s designed for applicators, managers, buyers, inventory controllers and designers, said Julie Voisin, the company’s global product manager.

“Technology is more of our key this year,” Voisin said.

For example, customers can get specific color information, formulas, reflectant values, detailed pricing and other information around the clock.

If an airplane owner, for example, wants to match the paint on his airplane to that on his car, a wand scans the paint, transmits the information, and produces the paint formula in about five minutes, Voisin said.

This year’s NBAA is upbeat, she said.

“We feel a lot of positivity at the show this year,” Voisin said.

GlobalParts Group is promoting the company’s new services at a large exhibit at NBAA.

“We’re really promoting the repair and overhaul side of the business,” Malissa Nesmith, senior vice president and chief operating officer, said at the exhibit.

The company added capabilities in the past year.

It’s been growing so much that Nesmith had to redo the graphics on the company’s booth to reflect the new products.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Nesmith said of the show. “We’re meeting with a lot of people.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2014 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Aviation suppliers court customers in Orlando."