California-based aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider, ACI Jet, announced today authorization by avionics and communications manufacturer, Honeywell, for the company to operate Honeywell’s newest avionics and communications equipment dealership and service center at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport. The new operation is expected to have a significant economic impact on the county and state, generating sales, employment tax revenues, and new opportunities for residents.
Since its founding as a single aircraft, single office operation in 1998 by company founder and President William Borgsmiller, ACI Jet has grown to employ nearly 200 SLO County residents in a wide variety of positions. As the company has expanded in scale and services over its twenty years of operations, it is estimated that more than $60 Million in payroll allocations, $14 Million in property tax payments from both facilities and base aircraft, and more than $1 Million in charitable contributions to local organizations and non-profits have been distributed.
With the new dealership authorization from Honeywell, these numbers are only expected to reach new heights through equipment sales taxes, employment distributions and taxes, fuel sales from off-base aircraft utilizing ACI Jet’s aircraft maintenance services, taxes from supplemental charter flights while aircraft undergo maintenance, and more. Under ACI Jet’s ambitious growth and marketing strategy, the new dealership is expected to yield at least eight additional specialized avionics technician positions in its first three years of operations. Furthermore, a dedicated avionics maintenance and repair facility will be included as part of the company’s $19M expansion project at the airfield. A target in annual sales of Honeywell equipment has been set at more than $2 Million by the year 2020, and Vice President of Aircraft Maintenance, Dave Jensen, is optimistic about attaining this ambitious goal.
“The growth we’ve experienced on the aircraft maintenance side of our business over the last year and a half, as well as with our aircraft management and executive terminal and FBO business units, has been staggering,” stated Mr. Jensen. “There really is very little that we can’t do–very few services that we can’t offer aircraft owners from right here in San Luis Obispo. From a capabilities standpoint, and specifically regarding the cost savings and efficiencies afforded through our new Honeywell dealership and service authorization, our once small and growing aircraft maintenance company has catapulted into a position of offering more services from our prime location than anywhere else in the State of California.”
President and CEO William Borgsmiller added: “Presently, we stand in need of twenty-one talented aviation professionals to fulfill our staffing requirements across the organization. We’re on the road day in and day out meeting with candidates, attending trade events, and participating in employment and youth events to get the word out: a career in private aviation on California’s beautiful Central Coast has never been more accessible or more rewarding. With the growth of ACI Jet and our expanding business with Honeywell, there will be significant opportunities for both seasoned and young professionals.”
