AMT_June-July_2021 - 28

MRO FEATURE
W
Jim Rankin, West
Star Aviation CEO.
The company
constantly looks for
ways to grow and
provide better service.
But every change
focuses on whether
growth benefits
both customers
and employees.
WEST STAR AVIATION
est Star Aviation has long held
a respected spot in the aviation
world. The company's
list of accolades grows every
year.
In February, the FAA lauded the
company through its FAA Awards
Program. The company's East Alton, Illinois, and
Grand Junction, Colorado, facilities received two
AMT Gold Awards of Excellence; and its Denver,
Colorado, and Perryville, Missouri, locations received
two Diamond Awards of Excellence.
Customers and industry leaders also laud the company.
Respondents in Professional Pilot Magazine's
Annual Preference Regarding Aviation Services and
Equipment (PRASE) survey voted West Star Aviation
as Number One in Preferred Maintenance and Repair
Overhaul (MRO), marking the eigth consecutive year
the company received this distinction. And Garmin
recognized West Star with a Platinum Award for Elite
Performance in 2019.
Communities also recognize the MRO for its
efforts, particularly in sustainability. For six consecutive
years, the State of Colorado has named West Star
Aviation as a Gold Leader in the Colorado Governor's
Environmental Leadership Program (ELP).
But awards only go so far in the competitive MRO
environment. The rubber meets the road when market
forces challenge a company, and here, West Star
Aviation's light still shines. As the pandemic shattered
global business and aviation, the firm continued to
grow with staff members who worked tirelessly to
meet customer needs.
The company sprang into action, enacting safety
protocols and procedures to deliver a healthy
environment to both customers and employees. They
adopted a company-wide mandatory mask policy
long before the government did, installed hand sanitizer
and hand washing stations throughout every
facility, built work teams to limit employee exposure
during the workday and started second-shift operations
to complete jobs faster in a disrupted industry.
Few employees got sick. And, if they did, other
employees pitched in to keep the operation's wheels
moving. And customers' work continued without
a hiccup.
When asked what kept the organization humming
during the disruption, CEO Jim Rankin credits
a loyal staff and loyal customers and a corporate culture
worth emulating. He says employees remained
flexible and worked hard to support customers and
each other.
Amid pandemic challenges, industry labor shortages
and a disrupted aviation industry, West Star
Aviation thrived. In fact, Rankin reports revenue
continued its upward trajectory.
" Taking care of the customer and each other is
something employees take to heart, " Rankin said. " It's
just the culture of the company. That's not something
you create overnight or in the middle of a crisis. But
it's something that has guided West Star for decades.
In a crisis, that culture takes over. "
Putting operations to the test in a disrupted
industry is not something Rankin wants to repeat.
And, it looks like he won't have to - at least for 2021.
" Demand has come back very strong, " he noted.
" Hopefully, as we see an end to the pandemic, this
trajectory will continue. "
Expanded Shifts Expands Output
West Star Aviation expanded second shifts at four
full-service locations to improve overall efficiency
and turn times after managers found the move could
reduce return times over 30 percent.
He noted, " Reducing turn times is always a plus.
We want customers to get in, get their work done
and get back to flying. "
The company hasn't finished staffing its second
shifts. But Rankin reports even with limited staffing,
the move helps West Star finish more work in a
day. Operating two shifts speeds repairs and " gives
us more bandwidth to absorb unexpected variables
on major jobs, " he explained.
West Star added new technology to facilitate ondemand
training as it expanded staffing during the
pandemic. The on-demand tech training represents
a larger initiative aimed at maximizing efficiencies
throughout the organization.
28 JUNE/JULY 2021
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

AMT_June-July_2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AMT_June-July_2021

AMT_June-July_2021 - 1
AMT_June-July_2021 - 2
AMT_June-July_2021 - 3
AMT_June-July_2021 - 4
AMT_June-July_2021 - 5
AMT_June-July_2021 - 6
AMT_June-July_2021 - 7
AMT_June-July_2021 - 8
AMT_June-July_2021 - 9
AMT_June-July_2021 - 10
AMT_June-July_2021 - 11
AMT_June-July_2021 - 12
AMT_June-July_2021 - 13
AMT_June-July_2021 - 14
AMT_June-July_2021 - 15
AMT_June-July_2021 - 16
AMT_June-July_2021 - 17
AMT_June-July_2021 - 18
AMT_June-July_2021 - 19
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AMT_June-July_2021 - 21
AMT_June-July_2021 - 22
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AMT_June-July_2021 - 24
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AMT_June-July_2021 - 26
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