Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group acquires Beechcraft’s European MRO business
Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (Marshall ADG) announced yesterday the purchase of Beechcraft’s flagship European MRO business, Hawker Beechcraft Limited. At its Broughton location in the UK, the site, also known as Hawker Beechcraft Services Chester, has provided a full range of maintenance, modification, paint and upgrade services to owners of Hawker and Beechcraft aircraft for over 50 years. The business will be known as "Marshall Aviation Services."
Announcing the deal, which was signed on August 30, 2013, Steve Fitz-Gerald, CEO of Marshall ADG comments: “We are committed to a strategy of building our civil aerospace business and I am delighted that Hawker Beechcraft Limited has become part of Marshall Aviation Services. This is our second business aviation acquisition this year and demonstrates our ambition to grow and become a major player in the business and commercial aviation marketplace.”
According to a Marshall ADG news release, Marshall ADG will continue to provide a vital service and support role for Beechcraft throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa and has been granted Authorised Service Centre status for Hawker and King Air aircraft.
Christi Tannahill, Senior Vice President, Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support, said: “We view the transition of our service facility to Marshall as a positive development for customers, employees and the aviation industry in the region. We are confident Hawker and Beechcraft owners and operators will continue to receive world-class support through this newly designated Authorised Service Centre. We consider the employees to be one of the facility’s greatest assets and are pleased the Marshall team plans to capitalise on those valuable resources.”
Marshall Aviation Services also plans to broaden the range of aircraft types supported at Broughton and leverage its design and integration expertise to provide aircraft manufacturers, governments and specialist operators with innovative engineering and support solutions to satisfy special mission requirements.
Steve Jones, Managing Director of Marshall Aviation Services, comments: “This exciting acquisition will enable us to focus on developing a ‘Centre of Excellence’ for business aviation. The company’s workforce, hangars, interior workshop and customer facilities, along with its established onsite design engineering office, engine bay and state-of-the-art paint facility, are a great platform for us to build on.”
