“A lot of little things added up,” said Wipaire president Chuck Wiplinger, when I asked him about their expansion to Leesburg, Florida. “A great customer base in the immediate area and the growth of our government contract work are just two of the reasons this test makes sense.”
The expansion is wholly-owned by Wipaire in a leased facility at Leesburg International Airport (KLEE). It will officially open February 1, 2013.
From the Wipaire press release, “The facility will offer onsite aircraft and float maintenance, avionics repair and installations, aircraft interior refurbishments and float installations as well as installations of select Wipaire modifications.”
“Being able to serve our Florida- and southeast-based customers at a location closer to them makes a lot of sense,” continued Wiplinger. “Not having to fly a plane all the way to Minnesota saves a lot of effort and expense.”
The new location will be led by “one or two” Wipaire employee who will relocate to the Leesburg-area. “This is the best way to make certain we maintain our QC [quality control] standards.”
What’s next in this service center concept for Wipaire? “We’ll test this facility out and if it works, we’ll look at further expansion,” responded Wiplinger. While Chuck did acknowledge the risk they are taking, he alluded to them taking it slowly, but, “if we want to grow, we have to take a risk.”
