Avionics News September 2022 - 40

FORGE FLIGHTWORKS
Continued from page 38
" We are so extremely fortunate to have found Gil Vigil and his talented
group at Speed & Design right here in our backyard in Middle
Tennessee, " Lee said. " They share our commitment to superlative
quality and customer satisfaction. One look at the passion-inspiring
quality and unique styling these artists can deliver, and you can be
sure that you'll never look at an aircraft interior the same way again. "
Not looking at an aircraft's interior the " same way again " is exactly
what Vigil and his upholstery artisans aim for.
" Most of the cars we work on are for some very reputable custom
car builders; that's what we want to do for airplanes, " Vigil said. " We
don't just want to replace the interior with the same look and design.
Anyone can do that.
" Our vision is to reimagine the cabin and make big improvements.
That's what we love to do: Design, fabricate, and improve every
aspect of the aircraft's interior. "
For example, Vigil said that with modern materials (all FAA-approved
for aviation use), his team can finally make aircraft seats
something they've not often been - great looking and, you read it
here first, comfortable.
" I've heard plenty of pilots say their factory seats are uncomfortable
after long flights; their legs and backs ache, " he said. " We can
fix that. We do it with hot rods all the time. We can make the seats
and cabin more comfortable so pilots and passengers will want to
spend more time in them.
" It's like when we deliver a new car at SEMA (the world's biggest
custom car event) each year; our goal is to wow the owner with what
we've done. There's nothing better than seeing that reaction.
" Aircraft owners should enjoy that same reaction - that wow
factor - when they get in their airplane. Mark and I want to get
to the top of the aviation industry's interior business. That's our
shared goal. "
They're off to a flying start
Lee said he and Vigil could not have been more encouraged
by the initial customer reactions to the array of interior upgrade
services Forge Flightworks is now offering. While the company is
more than happy to take on any aircraft that will fit in its hangar,
Lee feels their most robust opportunity will come from six-place
and larger twins, turboprops, and jets.
" We know there is a lot of aircraft in these segments that need an
upgrade, and we feel there's a lot of demand for high-quality cabin
work, " he said. " We think we have the opportunity to delight these
customers with what we can deliver. "
Since launching the collaboration last year, Lee explained
they had completed a couple of interiors for piston singles and
done numerous small jobs like replacing headliners, sidewalls
and other repairs.
So far, the biggest constraint up to now has been the bandwidth
of Vigil's team relative to the custom car projects already
in the queue.
40 AVIONICS NEWS * SEPTEMBER 2022
" The nature of our collaboration is evolving, and we are so excited
that Gil and his team are now employees of Forge Flightworks, "
he explained. " In the coming months, they will finalize their full
transition to our airport facility. "
A stitch in time
As you well know, " A stitch in time saves nine, " and this means if
you head off a problem now, it will help you avoid a bigger issue later.
Well, that's what Lee's original goal was when he started looking
to expand Forge Flightworks' business offerings beyond avionics.
" I've been in the general aviation business since 2007, and I've
seen a lot of ups and downs, so from a business point of view, it's
just prudent to have multiple lines of business when you can, " Lee
said. " Between the ADS-B mandate and the recent upsurge in panel
and autopilot upgrades, avionics has been a big upswing in our core
business.
" Still, things happen in cycles. Unexpected things like a pandemic
can come along. So what if one of your lines of business is impacted
by a shortage or other unforeseen issue? Wouldn't it be nice
to be positioned such that you can hedge against the downturn and
benefit from a growth opportunity in a different but related space? "
Ah, you ask, but what type of capability would be the right fit for
my business? Well, isn't that the proverbial $50,000 question?
Lee explained that in his situation, he started by examining what
types of services his current customers wanted from his shop. As he
said, it was interior work, annual inspections, airframe repairs, and
engine maintenance.
" We looked at other avionics shops in our region to see what
they did well and to see if we could identify the unmet needs, " he
explained. " That helped us narrow down the opportunities. Our Part
145 certificate enables us to do electronics, instruments, radios, and
some limited airframe work, so we determined interiors was the best
direction for us. Nobody in our region does that kind of work. "
Lee admits that he was unbelievably lucky to connect with Speed
& Design and that Vigil was interested in pursuing the partnership.
" I have built a very successful and sustaining business and didn't
need to move or change it in any way, " Vigil said. " But, after over
20 years, I've done it all in the custom car business. After meeting
Mark and his people at Forge Flightworks, I knew I found a great
opportunity and had to move forward with it. "
While business skills, experience, desire and the like are all
critical to success, Lee stressed that he believes a key element is the
personal side of the relationship.
" No matter what you do, be the best partner you can be, " he said.
" That's key to the success of any relationship. Partnership is one of
our core values. If we can be a great partner, we are taking a huge
step in forging a great relationship.
" We are back in the growth mode now. Where there is growth,
there is an opportunity, and that is very exciting for our expanding
team. " q
To learn more about Forge Flightworks, visit forgeflightworks.com.
http://forgeflightworks.com
Avionics News September 2022

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