Parts Distributor Now Offers FAA Repair Station, Manufacturing

Augusta, Kansas-based GlobalParts.aero, an aftermarket parts and services provider, has added a new FAA-certified repair station and in-house, build-to-print parts manufacturing capabilities to its operations. The company has also launched a new brand and expanded web presence.

“These moves allow us to broaden the support of our worldwide base of OEMS, business, charter and regional aircraft operators and provide them with a single, efficient and cost effective parts solution,” said Malissa Nesmith, vice president and Chief Operating Officer of GlobalParts.aero. “This expansion also reflects the ongoing growth of our customer base beyond our original Raytheon and Hawker Beechcraft roots. We continue to value and service those clients, and we‘re pleased that we have also developed outstanding relationships with the industry’s full range of airframe manufacturers and their customers, as well."

Nesmith said the fully-certified FAA repair station is already up and running. “The new repair station allows us to have complete control over cost drivers, turn times, and quality so that we can provide quick and competitive service to meet the needs of our customers. This will allow us to further expand our parts lists and control our inventories,” Nesmith said.

During it’s nearly ten years of operation GlobalParts.aero has steadily expanded its services. The company started as an authorized distributor of Raytheon Excess Inventory in 2003. GlobalParts.aero purchased a significant portion of inventory from the HBC Legacy division in 2007. Brad Vieux, Director of Business Development, also pointed to the addition of a new manufacturing capabilities and the company’s ability to accommodate larger and more extensive machining projects. “We have acquired factory-new machines to provide build-to-print manufacturing, including a Makino Mag 1, a 5-axis horizontal machining center specifically designed for high-productivity machining of complex parts for aerospace. “We can accommodate larger parts requirements — up to 60 inches — and work on hard metals such as steel and titanium as well as aluminum,” he explained.

The company says it expects to add up to a dozen employees as demand grows. “We are moving into this area at a level that demonstrates our long-term commitment to meeting customer needs, even for parts that aren’t typically available off the shelf or at multiple sites,” said Chris Roberts, newly named director of manufacturing for GlobalParts.aero. “Most start-up fabricators are limited to producing small parts in the 24” X 24” range, but we are taking a purposeful step to provide a broader spectrum of capability. We have made a significant investment in two new Haas five-axis UMC-750s, the latest state of the art, and the full five axis contouring Makino Mag 1 that can machine aluminum at exceptionally high production rates and with unwavering accuracy. We are also utilizing the latest coordinate measuring machines (CMM) and ROMER arms and we’ve hired programmers who are experienced in running Vericut verification, so we are ready to move forward now. We are also positioning ourselves to be able to machine harder metals, including steel and titanium, as well as aluminum.”

Roberts, who spent much of his career in the manufacturing industry, has also worked at Atlas Aerospace in Wichita, prior to joining GlobalParts.aero. “Our goal is to provide a supplemental source of quality parts for OEMs, owners and operators of a broad spectrum of aircraft and do it more economically and efficiently than competitive sources,” he stated.

The company has also updated its website and logo. Nesmith said the new brand emphasizes the company's core business and the industry in which we operate by combining the Global and Parts in the name and adding the ".aero" as part of the brand.

FMI: www.globalparts.aero