Manufacturing, Support, And Service Exclusively From Narco
Michael Coates, CEO & President of the Australian XCOM
Avionics, and Alan Hanks, CEO & President of Narco Avionics,
Inc. have jointly announced that all XCOM 2 1/4"
Avionics VHF 760 Aircraft Transceivers will now be sold and
marketed exclusively through the Narco Avionics Dealer Network and
Original Airframe Manufacturers (OEMs) in the US and Canada.
The announcement follows
a Joint Manufacturing Agreement reached by the two
companies last October, designed to solve practical
concerns about production issues and reduce shipping costs.
"Since the radio's inception, the XCOM has been built in
Australia with a large majority (approximately 90%) of our product
being shipped internationally with most of this going to the USA,"
XCOM representatives told ANN. "Production issues in Australia have
forced us to look for another manufacturer, we tried several
manufacturers in Australia but none of these could offer reliable
and quality production -- which basically meant we had a fantastic
product that was being let down by poor manufacturing which was out
of our control.
"The best way around this was to find a manufacturer who is
already familiar with avionics and has the ability to manufacture
correctly to TSO standards, will stand behind their work, and most
importantly take pride in what they are doing. For this reason we
have entered into a cooperation with Narco Avionics, who are the
world's longest standing avionics business."
Company personnel add the new partnership "gives XCOM the
complete confidence that our product will be manufactured and
tested beyond the standards which are required for efficient and
continuous, long-term, durable operations. It really means we can
stand behind our product with more confidence than ever before and
it also gives Narco exposure to the LSA, experimental and
Ultralight market which is rapidly expanding.
"And it also means that the price to our US customers will come
down because most of the parts that are used in the XCOM radio are
actually sourced from the USA, then sent to Australia (which costs
a lot of money in freight), produced into the radio and then
shipped back to the USA (which costs a lot of money in freight).
Overall, our customers will find a number of improvements, which
include better customer service because they are not geographically
isolated on the other side of the world, delivery and repair times
will be quicker, and the price of the radio will come down."
The XCOM Avionics 2 1/4" VHF 760 has been manufactured by Narco
Avionics, Inc. in Fort Washington, PA for several months. It will
be completely supported and serviced -- both in and out of warranty
-- by Narco at its Fort Washington, PA facility.