Textron Inc. has entered the world of ground support equipment in a big way and with a strong global presence. The names TUG, Douglas and Premier are not new to this industry, but combined under the Textron umbrella, the three companies are the foundation of Textron GSE, a new umbrella for the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) business of the Rhode Island-based manufacturer of products as diverse as Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes, Bell Helicopters, and a multitude of other well known goods across a variety of industries.
“Textron’s goal is to provide customers with innovative products and services,” says Matt Chaffin, vice president and general manager, GSE for Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., a division of Textron headquartered in Augusta, GA, that, in addition to the aforementioned GSE brands and products, also manufactures a range of vehicles.
The package deal – for GSE
Two years ago, Textron purchased TUG Technologies Corp. which produces air conditioners, tow tractors, air starts, baggage tractors, belt loaders, ground power units and heaters. Then, Douglas Equipment’s 90 employees were brought into the Textron family to continue their work in manufacturing towbarless and conventional aircraft tractors, as well as runway friction measurement systems. In May of this year, Textron also acquired deicer manufacturer Premier Engineering & Manufacturing of Marinette, WI, keeping its previous owner as director of operations and 50 employees on staff.
“We’re starting to wrap a bow around what we’re doing in the GSE industry, and want to send the message that we’re bigger than TUG, bigger than just Douglas and bigger than just Premier,” says Chaffin.
That “bow” will be made public at the upcoming International Airport GSE Expo in Las Vegas, when Textron GSE’s launch is formally announced and the brand consolidation made known to the GSE industry leaders.
Brad Compton, vice president of global sales at Textron GSE, says it’s exciting to be a part of this segment in Textron’s history. He says Textron GSE is a “mother ship” with well-known and proven brand names, now offering more solutions in one phone call and single point of contact.
“The customer will be excited,” Compton adds. “Pick a major airline. No matter where they are in the world, we can offer them 70 percent of what they need. For them, they’re not calling multiple people and we are there. We’re close to every operation they may have in terms of support, which is key.”
Commitment to continued quality
“Unless you paid attention to the newspapers, you might not have even known this occurred,” Chaffin says. “The vehicles all say TUG, Douglas or Premier and will continue to.”
Then why the merger? Chaffin says it’s to create a single touchpoint for the customer of any Textron GSE company. Whether for equipment, parts or even training, he says one phone call will be able to meet all those needs.
Textron’s global presence is also a huge factor in this equation, Chaffin says, explaining that Textron is located in more than 25 countries through sales, service and manufacturing facilities.
“We want to leverage that,” he explains. “We want to build off the synergies that network provides, to be able to have parts available in strategic areas around the world, so we can better serve the region that’s buying.”
Compton agrees, saying that Textron GSE now offers customers a global reach, not only with strong shipments, but closer proximity to them with factories and service centers. He also says that the existing TUG, Douglas and Premier brand quality is there, calling it the “bread and butter of the bloodline.”
While customers may be wondering what will happen next, Compton feels Textron GSE is strong enough to carry this forward, and that customers should feel confident that it (and their favorite GSE providers) will be around for a long time.
“We focus on quality, but also on letting our customers know we won’t build a few units and then go away,” he says. “This is a volatile industry and we will ride the waves with it. With these brands, we have the flexibility to do that and offer multiple solutions. We’re committed to supporting them.”
Chaffin says Textron recognizes aviation is a worldwide industry. “We want them to know TUG is a part of Textron GSE, which has the ability to be across the globe with service and products, providing solutions to our customers wherever they are,” he explains.
“This is good for the industry by leveraging our Textron resources: the people, locations, capital and knowledge base,” Chaffin adds. “We plan to push the GSE industry forward and take it to another level.”
The future of GSE through Textron
As this new project moves forward, Chaffin says Textron GSE is focused on three main product goals: safety, energy efficiency and productivity. “There’s a constant drive for improvement, both in the products and processes used to build and manage them,” he adds.
A new product is being introduced soon, called “Smart Sense,” that will attach to belt loaders and prevent the belt loaders from colliding with an aircraft or anything else the belt loader approaches. Chaffin says Textron’s engineers were able to take the current design with some enhancements and develop this new product that will control the belt loader through sensors. This addresses safety.
Then, to look at fuel energy efficiency, the M7 electric tractor is now certified to operate in Europe too. It will be at the October Ground Support Expo for industry leaders to view. This is also a TUG product.
To develop new products, Chaffin says the Textron team meets with their customers, observing how they use their equipment on a daily basis and then working to make improvements where possible.
Compton says the company is looking to support the 70 percent of products and services ground support personnel can already get through them, and then close that 30 percent gap. He says that can be done through an innovative team approach, which is only accomplished when working side-by-side with their customers.
“It’s a unique playground where you’re turning around aircraft,” he says. “We’ve got to partner with them to help them do it faster, but also as safe as possible. And to do that, we have to be close to the operation. Each is different. Southwest is different than Emirates. Emirates is different than British Airways, and so forth.”
The Textron team approach
Chaffin says the bottom line of the Textron GSE formation is customer care. “We want to be there when a mistake happens, they’ve hit something or damaged something and need help,” he says. “Airports can’t afford downtime.”
Chaffin refers to a recent meeting with a large air mail carrier’s local shop in Atlanta. “I was impressed with how these employees understood the business impact of not being able to receive an airplane, unload all the packages, reload the airplane with new packages and then get that airplane out again on-time,” Chaffin says.
When he went back to the air mail’s corporate executives, he impressed upon them that their employees were commendable for truly comprehending the business impact of airport efficiency. “The equipment they purchase from us plays a vital role in that,” Chaffin says. “We will be there to help them find more innovative ways to accomplish the tasks they need to, be more productive, or do it in a manner that is safer for all, including the aircraft, ensuring they never miss a shipping window.”
Last but not least, there has to be a passion for this industry. Chaffin says that over the years, it’s become his. He believes the people that make it successful are hard workers, especially the GSE on-the-ground experts. “They need products to work exactly how they want it, when they need it, and that gives me the energy to make sure we can meet those demands through Textron GSE,” he concludes.
