Precision Aviation Group (PAG) has seen remarkable growth in the last year by increasing its range of support for OEMs, adding a new facility in Singapore, and expanding existing facilities in Australia and the United States.
But it hasn’t been growth for the sake of growth. It’s a natural product of PAG’s mission to be a better company every day, and to do what it takes to meet the needs of the aviation industry.
“All the decisions we make are ultimately to enhance the customer experience,” said Ketan Desai, vice president of sales and marketing for PAG.
“When we think about mission-critical operators–the people that we support and focus on day in and day out–how can we get our products onto their aircraft, to their platform or to their bases more efficiently and quicker?
“At the end of the day, every hour counts … and it’s a simplistic approach for us. It’s, ‘How can we enhance the customer experience?’ ”
Two key examples of PAG’s rapidly expanding support capabilities are new agreements with BendixKing and UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS).
The BendixKing agreement encompasses distribution and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the entire BendixKing product line: integrated flight decks; audio panels and accessories; displays; autopilots and indicators; navigation and communication equipment; and safety, terrain and radar technology.
“This new authorization, on such a successful product line, provides an excellent source of future growth for PAG and allows us to build on our comprehensive tip-to-tail MRO services for all of our fixed- and rotor-wing customers,” said David Mast, president and CEO of PAG. “Our more than 30 years of experience and localized worldwide support of the BendixKing product line was key to our selection as an MRO and distribution partner.”
The agreement with UTAS authorizes PAG to stock/distribute, market the Fleet Improvement Program (FIP) and provide a level of repair services for the company’s Airbus helicopter servo-actuators.
“Being one of the largest stocking distributors of the UTAS (SAMM) servo-actuators,” said Desai, “we’re excited to promote the Fleet Improvement Program to upgrade operators from Dunlop servos that are currently on hundreds of Airbus’ AS350 fleet, into the UTAS (SAMM) servo-actuators.
“Our strong, global and customer-focused sales teams have all the distribution and technical skills needed to provide our customers with the high standard of service they’ve come to expect,” he added. “We are confident that this expanded relationship with UTAS will bring added value to our customers.”
Another sign of PAG’s commitment to serving its customers is a recent $2 million investment in a rotable pool for Leonardo AW139 helicopters.
“When we look at our current customer base and the fleets that they support, naturally they’ve migrated … into a larger platform aircraft, which would be the AW139,” said Desai.
“Ultimately they’ve asked, ‘Because you support us on these other aircraft, do you have any spares for this?’ ”
The AW139 rotable pool includes engines, main/tail rotor gearboxes and servos, interior components, landing gear, blades and the complete Honeywell Primus Epic cockpit system–all mission-critical items that are being strategically stocked at PAG’s facilities around the globe.
“Ultimately, [it’s] going back to the same terminology: Enhancing that customer experience and keeping the aircraft flying,” said Desai.
PAG has always had a robust engineering services division, but it has taken major steps forward in the past year, including a significant expansion of its CNC capabilities.
“We’ve transformed our engineering services division to be more of a profit center versus a cost center,” said Mast. “We’re making ourselves more efficient.”
As for PAG’s geographic expansion, it’s another product of the company’s desire to meet customers where they are.
“Our strategy hasn’t wavered,” said Mast. “The incremental investments we make in facilities, inventory and capabilities are customer-centric.”
PAG’s new 3,500-square-foot facility in Singapore is an example of that approach, prompted by a desire to better serve customers who operate there.
“Singapore is a natural progression for us,” said Mast. “We found a facility, we made the investment, built out the facility and opened it at the end of December.
“We’re excited about that … but what drives it is customer demand.”
PAG also added 3,500 square feet of new space to its facility in Brisbane, Australia, and the same amount of new space to its location in Lafayette, Louisiana.
“We use the term, ‘Local presence, global support,’ ” said Mast. “We like to be local to better support the operators that have done business with us.”
The result has been a significant uptick in business, for both PAG and its customers. The Singapore facility doubled PAG’s business from Asia-based customers in less than four months, and the Lafayette location has helped a major client quadruple its business.
“When we put facilities where our customers are, it’s a natural progression to grow that business exponentially,” said Mast. “We can pick up and deliver–we can support the customer that day.”
So, what’s next?
PAG is planning to add more new locations in 2018 and 2019, with the possibility of business acquisitions in both years. But the goal is not just to become a bigger company; it’s to become a better one.
“The forefront of everything we do is taking care of our customers,” said Desai. “Everything else falls in line.
“We’ve always had that mantra, and that’s true for everything we do–every decision we make, every opportunity we look at.
“Ultimately, that’s helped us grow to be this successful group of companies. Our people have helped us build PAG into what it is today.”
