It can be a dangerous world out there, and Houston-based ASI Group (formerly Air Security International) continues to expand on that premise. A year ago, Air Security International addressed the fact that, with nearly 90 percent of its clients outside aviation, it had outgrown its name. Monday, the company announced the appointment of Charlie LeBlanc as president. LeBlanc joined the company in 1993, serving initially as operations manager before being promoted to managing director in 1997.
As part of the rebranding, “a number of dynamic agreements and new programs took place during the last 12 months that have strengthened our brand in the marketplace,” said ASI Group CEO Tim Maystrik. “Ultimately, these disciplines add to our repertoire of products and services in the aviation security industry, as well as in the corporate travel and corporate security sectors.”
The company formed ASI Global, a wholly owned subsidiary that provides “a portfolio of crisis-management, prevention and pre-incident services to private clients and families, financial institutions and major corporations worldwide.” Under an exclusive contract with Travelers (the insurance company), ASI Global provides crisis management support to kidnap and ransom policyholders. “Kidnapping incidents remain an alarmingly high statistic in many countries around the world,” said Maystrik.
ASI’s investigative division has increased staffing by 400 percent in the past year to keep up with demand for due diligence and background checks.
Along with its growth, ASI reports it is stepping up the process it uses to vet international service providers. “Our substantial vendor network supervises all of our transportation, aircraft security, executive protection and other specialized services,” said LeBlanc. “To maintain confidence in their performance, we insist that these vendors follow strict operating standards and pass regular inspections. We believe in continually looking for ways to step up our procedures and tighten our policies.”
ASI Group is giving away the latest update of its world threat map during the convention, at Booth No. 1705, an exhibit shared with Air Routing International.