Marana Aerospace Solutions Seeks New Business Heights
By David B. Pittman –
Evergreen Maintenance Center, which operated for more than 30 years within the Pinal Air Park in Marana, is now Marana Aerospace Solutions.
Along with the new name come a new logo, a new website and a new attitude – launched by new owners seeking to take Marana Aerospace Solutions to new business heights.
Relativity Capital, a private equity firm headquartered in Arlington, Va., purchased the 460-acre commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility – the largest of its kind in the world – from Evergreen International Aviation in 2011.
“With the growth we have planned, along with added training, enhanced processes and updated tooling, we intend to build our extensive range of service offerings to meet the needs of our expanding global base of customers,” said Hal Heule, the company’s newly-appointed CEO.
The new ownership team unveiled its rebranding and revitalization efforts this spring at a luncheon ceremony attended by more than 300 employees, dignitaries and elected officials from the Town of Marana and the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.
Marana Aerospace Solutions even introduced new company uniforms for its employees that included jackets, pants and shirts in blue and gray color schemes.
“Everybody here is going to look the way we work – sharp,” said a company spokesman.
Aviation technicians at Marana Aerospace Solutions provide federally certified service for the industry’s most advanced aircraft, including those manufactured by Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas. The 6,850-foot runway is suitable for takeoff and landing of all aircraft types, including large commercial and military aircraft. The maintenance center has ramp and storage capacity to accommodate 400 aircraft, as well as more than 350,000 square feet of repair shops for avionics, components servicing, interior configuration, painting, testing and inspections.
“Our facility will continue to focus on operational excellence, with a renewed commitment to deliver outstanding customer service and satisfaction,” said Joyce Johnson-Miller, a co-founder of Relativity Capital who chairs the board of directors of Marana Aerospace Solutions.
Johnson-Miller said Relativity Capital was looking to purchase an existing maintenance, repair and overhaul facility and the choices came down to the Marana operation or one in California. She said major factors in choosing to locate in Marana were metro Tucson’s “excellent aerospace and defense workforce” and the fact that Arizona’s tax structure is much preferable to the Golden State from tax and investment perspectives.
She also said the facility within Pinal Air Park already had a fully approved FAA Part 145 Repair Station – a unique certification that allows Marana Aerospace Solutions to conduct “a one-stop shop” that allows commercial airlines and aircraft leasing companies the greatest array of options in managing and maintaining their fleets.
Ed Stolmaker, president and CEO of the Marana Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the new ownership group to the community. He said the new owner’s involvement “not only ensures existing jobs (at the aircraft maintenance center) will be maintained, but also increases the likelihood of future growth.”
He said the decision to put Marana at the forefront of the facility’s new name will bring increased recognition, publicity and stature to the town.
