On the Record with:
LARRY FLYNN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, AIRCRAFT SERVICES, GULFSTREAM

Gulfstream Claims Completions On Time

Gulfstream services chief Larry Flynn

While most business jet manufacturers have stumbled in their deliveries of new jets because of slow interior completions, Gulfstream is doing so well with its outfitting that it is moving 100-plus people out of new airplane completions and putting them into refurbishment.

That's the word from Gulfstream senior VP of aircraft services Larry Flynn. "We're taking experienced completions folks and putting them back into the aircraft service organization to increase refurbishments on Challengers, Hawkers, Falcons and Gulfstreams," he told Show News.

And that's without any decrease in the number of completions the company plans to do. So how can Gulfstream complete the same number of aircraft with 100 fewer people? "Increased efficiency," said Flynn. "We're doing more with less manpower."

The reason Gulfstream is shifting maintenance personnel back into refurbishment is to meet the demand from operators flying relatively new aircraft that were delivered before all the recent developments in inflight entertainment and business systems.

"Our biggest opportunity for growth and the biggest demand from customers is in refurbishment-all the avionics and entertainment and communications systems," said Flynn. "It is not an area we had resources for in the past because of completions. Before we had a wave of people that were shifted from refurbishment to completions; now they're going back."

To meet demand for new refurbishments and completions, Gulfstream has expanded its facilities in both Savannah and Brunswick, GA. The new 53,540 square-foot Consolidated Shop Facility in Savannah includes interior wood, cabinetry, upholstery and other workshops that support aircraft completions.

Gulfstream's portfolio of services now goes far beyond support of its own aircraft as it will handle competitors' aircraft as well.

In addition, the company has embarked on a $3 million expansion of its Brunswick facility, which will include construction of a 24,000 square-foot completion hangar, and the upgrade and lease of a 20,000 square-foot maintenance and storage building.

"With our aircraft completions business running smoothly, Gulfstream has turned its attention toward building and investing in the aircraft refurbishment business," said Flynn. "With this new facility (in Savannah) and a two-fold increase in employees devoted to refurbishments we expect to build a substantial refurbishment business here in Savannah over the next few years."

In addition to Savannah and Brunswick, Gulfstream has completion centers in: Dallas, TX; Long Beach, CA; Appleton, WS; and Westfield, MA. The centers completed more than 70 aircraft interiors and exterior paint last year.

The Appleton, Dallas and Westfield facilities were formerly KC Aviation, which Gulfstream purchased two years ago. It is the former KC operation that gives Gulfstream capability to maintain aircraft other than Gulfstreams-specifically Challengers, Falcons and Hawkers.
"My mandate is to grow my business in a very rapid rate in the foreseeable future," Flynn said. "To do that I have to work on more than just Gulfstreams.

"The purpose of the KC acquisition was two-fold: to increase completion capacity for our GIV, and to expand service capability. (Today) we are at rate on completions at all sites; the KC acquisition proved to be a brilliant move. We're completing 100% of GIVs and GVs in the right time."
Now that Gulfstream is part of General Dynamics, Flynn said the revenues for the services division is no longer broken out. (Revenues were about $282 million in 1998.) But if employment growth is any way to gauge revenue growth, the division is doing well. Flynn said he'll add 350 new people this year.

Many of those new employees will be assigned to second and third shifts, as well as weekends, "to reduce downtime on customers' aircraft," said Flynn.

By Barry Rosenberg