Story ID: 361
Able Aerospace Continues Footprint Expansion 
By: AIN Staff
Caption: The 50,000-sq-ft expansion increases Able's facility to 250,000 sq ft at Phoneix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
Word Count: 373
Able Aerospace Services (Booth C5323) broke ground in December for a new 50,000-sq-ft facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport continuing the MRO’s significant expansion that has occurred in recent years. Construction is now underway, with move-in slated for the summer of this year.

The expansion will bring Able’s footprint at the airport to 250,000 sq ft, including an expansion three years ago to build-out a hangar and add a new mezzanine space, said Kriya Shortt, Textron Aviation senior vice president, customer service of Textron Aviation, which acquired Able in early 2016. Since 2013, Able has also expanded its workforce from a few hundred employees to more than 450, including mechanics, engineers, sales, and customer service specialists, Shortt said. “These expansions helped us grow in key areas of demand so that we can serve as a best-in-class, one-stop-shop for approximately 1,500 Able customers in more than 60 countries.”

While part of Textron Aviation’s larger global service network, Able operates from the single Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport location. “We integrated our mission-critical capabilities under one roof, so that we can offer quick solutions for a vast range of customer needs,” Shortt told AIN. “For example, we have a significant on-site engineering team, including several DER specialists, who work together with our mechanics to propose on-the-spot solutions to frequent or new service needs.”

She pointed to the facility’s on-site specialized capabilities, such as robotic cold spray, machining, plating and paint. “Our integrated model enables Able to complete more than 95 percent of its jobs in-house and pass quality and cost control benefits on to our customers,” Shortt added.

Following its acquisition by Textron, Able opened a major center in mid-2016 to provide a full suite of rotorcraft airframe maintenance, inspections, airframe repair, avionics upgrades, and paint services. “Since then, it has become a one-stop resource for completion services for local and international customers,” she said.

Shortt credited the collaboration with the City of Mesa and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority has helping to foster its growth at the airport. “Our local leaders understand the regulations of our business and our growth opportunities, which made it an easy decision to stay and expand at our Gateway Airport site, she said.