Story ID: 
Wisconsin FBO Under New Management
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: Spring City Aviation announced the acquisition of Gran-Aire, which provided services at Milwaukee Timmerman Airport for more than 70 years.
Word Count: 240
Gran-Aire, the lone FBO at Milwaukee’s Lawrence J. Timmerman airport since 1946, has been sold to Wisconsin-based Spring City Aviation, which operates aviation businesses—flight school, aircraft sales, maintenance, management and charter—at Waukesha County Airport, as well as a flight school and maintenance operation at Burlington Airport. The acquisition represents Spring City's first true FBO.

“Spring City Aviation is excited to be the new fixed-base operator at Lawrence J. Timmerman airport, and we believe this acquisition will allow us to better serve existing and new customers, as well as materially increase the number of aircraft operations at LJTA,” said Gavin Leake, the location’s new general manager. “Gran-Aire has become one of the most respected aviation companies in Wisconsin, and Spring City Aviation will continue providing the same great services that existing customers of both businesses have come to expect.” He added the company has negotiated a new 20-year lease on the four-plus acre facility.

The location offers nearly 150,000 sq ft of hangar space, which can accommodate aircraft up to a Citation Excel, and it serves as a authorized Cessna service center. All existing employees of the Phillips 66-branded facility will be staying on through the transition, and Leake told AIN the company will embark on a $100,000 renovation of the customer facilities in January, including a new pilots' lounge with snooze room, along with upgrades to the customer reception area, and flight-planning rooms.