C&L Aviation Group is a Part 145 Repair Station in Bangor, Maine that specializes in full-service MRO and aftermarket parts support for regional and corporate aircraft. The company was founded 25 years ago in Brisbane, Australia by CEO Chris Kilgour, who began by selling aircraft parts to the Australian Air Force, specializing in Saab 340 parts. Today, the company has expanded into several different aircraft types in both the corporate and regional market, and employs more than 200 people with its headquarters located in Maine and satellite sales offices and warehouses located around the globe.
C&L focuses on providing a one-stop solution for many aircraft types, both regional and corporate. The company offers parts, maintenance, interior refurbishment, engineering, avionics upgrades and aircraft painting all at its main office. The company specializes in ERJ 135/145, ATR, Saab 340, Dash-8 and others for regional aircraft and Challenger 604/605, Hawker 800, BeechJet 400 and others for corporate aircraft.
“Part of what we do at C&L is offer all our services in one location,” explained Kilgour. “This ensures customers won’t need to ferry their aircraft from location to location to get all their needs met. Because we perform work on both corporate and regional aircraft, we have a unique mix of services that are very attractive to companies looking to convert older regional aircraft into an elevated business-class or even private travel experience. Our ability to be able to do that type of work, along with the in-house engineering to support — that is very unique.”
Positive MRO Climate
The current climate of the aviation industry is very positive and growing at a steady pace, Kilgour comments. “We are seeing increasing demands from our customers for mechanical and structural repairs, avionics repairs and installations, aircraft conformity checks and inspections, as well as interior modifications and aircraft painting,” he noted.
Kilgour pointed out that the aviation industry is growing, especially in Asia, Latin America and Africa. C&L is constantly being approached with opportunities to work with organizations in these markets, which helps the company expand its global MRO presence.
“The North American aviation industry is growing; however, unlike some of the emerging markets, many new and existing operators in North America are maintaining or expanding their existing fleets with current aircraft types,” Kilgour explained. “This is resulting in an increase in demand for MRO services.” These services also include engineering, avionics upgrades and installations and, oftentimes, a complete cabin reconfiguration. “Unfortunately, we’re having to turn away a lot of work because we find ourselves booked out for many months in advance,” he added. Not a terrible problem to have, of course.
The C&L Aviation Group has been focusing on providing a true one-stop solution to their customers by starting a new business unit called C&L Engineering Services. The company has hired a number of experienced people with expertise in aircraft engineering, particularly in the avionics and electrical field. “We’re currently undergoing an expansion to increase our aircraft interiors shop, component repair back shop and warehouse space,” explained Kilgour. “We’ve also purchased new equipment for these departments so that we are more efficient in handling a higher volume of business in these areas.”
Keeping up with Growth
Keeping up with C&L’s growth in terms of manpower and capacity has been a major challenge, Kilgour pointed out. C&L has grown from 20 employees in 2010 to more than 250 employees in 2019. “We are constantly working to overcome these challenges, although we have taken some significant steps to plan for continued growth,” he noted. “We recently won a $2.5-million grant from the State of Maine to expand our facilities, purchase additional tooling, move to a new and larger component shop and do our own STC product development.” The company’s new in-house engineering division specializes in aircraft modifications including ADS-B, WAAS, Cabin Management Systems and cabin configuration alterations. “Our new employees, larger shops and increased capabilities have allowed us to attract new customers that we would not have been able to serve in the past,” Kilgour added.
Because C&L offers services for both corporate and regional aircraft, the company is in a unique position to cater to the increasing demand for regional aircraft with elevated, business class interiors. With this, comes the need for STC development for mods to high, luxury interior seating, aircraft painting and more. “In addition to offering this, and a complete line of MRO services, we can also assist our customers with sourcing and brokering of aircraft, parts inventory and engine purchases, repair management, component sales lease, exchange, consignment and Power by the Hour programs,” Kilgour explained. “We do not have many competitors who can offer such an extensive line of services and we do that for both regional and corporate aircraft types.
Like everyone else in the industry, C&L is not immune to the shortage in qualified A&P mechanics and painters. In fact, growing the company’s workforce to meet the ever-expanding production needs is one of the largest obstacles it face as a business. Still, C&L works to overcome this by trying its best to ensure that the work environment for its staff is second to none. “Our talented and trained leadership team cares about our staff and their success at C&L,” Kilgour explained. “They strive to stay engaged with each employee to make sure they are happy and achieving their goals and potential. They also manage by leading and working collaboratively with everyone.” He says this atmosphere leads to happier employees, quality work and a respected reputation with customers.
C&L Aviation Group has a plan for continued growth in all areas of its business, with a particular focus on STC’s and doing more avionics upgrades. The company is always looking for viable growth opportunities and are hoping to add various regional and corporate aircraft to its already extensive list of approved aircraft types. “We are also planning to expand our avionics capabilities and will continue to provide aircraft parts internationally for many aircraft and engine types,” Kilgour noted.
