October_2021 - 49

there aren't a lot of aftermarkets, " Grinnell said. " We definitely
started seeing great success with digging into aftermarket capabilities.
We've been doing a lot of interior refurbishments. "
Growth Through the Pandemic
Grinnell says AeroStar Aviation has seen explosive growth since it
started in 2014, even through the COVID-19 pandemic. The company's
customer base has changed, but it still manages 20 percent
growth year over year, sometimes even reaching 30 percent.
" We're always experiencing impacts from COVID-19 with technicians
or employees coming up with COVID. So, of course we have
to quarantine, we do traceability and we follow all the protocols
that the CDC requires, " Grinnell noted. " But I will say I think we
have seen a shift in corporate aircraft ownership and charter. We're
busier than pre-COVID. "
Pre-pandemic, the company's customer base was 60 percent
private owners and 40 percent charter operators. That has shifted
to 85 percent private owners and 15 percent charter operators.
" I think COVID has definitely brought to realization for a lot
of people that they want to have their own aircraft, " he noted. " If
they're on charter, yes they have quality machines, but they don't
know who was on it before. When it's their own aircraft, they know
who was on it, the last time it was flown and who's maintaining it. "
COVID has put in people's mindsets that they want privacy, he
says. " They want cleanliness and they want to know who's flying on
their airplane, " Grinnell said. " With Embraer selling the Phenom 300
and it being the most popular jet out there, it has really benefited
us as well as the aircraft brokers selling the airplanes. "
The pandemic also pushed the company to purchase its own single
piston aircraft it uses for AOG requests. Grinnell said it's a precaution
against COVID-19 because it prevents the technicians from
boarding a 300-person aircraft. It also cuts down on drive time by
50-60 percent. " We can dispatch quicker, we can get to the aircraft
sooner and we don't have to worry about exposing anyone or being
exposed to any type of COVID-related incident, " he noted.
Grinnell said he thinks the company is finally starting to get
traction with its reputation, name and brand awareness. " People
feel comfortable coming to us versus going to the OEM. I think
that has a lot to do with it, " he said about the company's growth.
" It also helps that the Phenom 300 has been the best-selling light
market aircraft out there for the past nine years. "
" Being in business for the past seven years, our growth has been
significant. I'm proud of our growth and I feel that we built a great
brand. There have been a lot of growing pains but I wouldn't trade
them for anything else, " Grinnell concluded.
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October_2021

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