Flying Colours, the North American MRO, completions and avionics business, has officially opened the doors of its new St. Louis, Missouri, facility.
Manufacturing at the new facility, which primarily supports the design, build and finishing of woodwork for large business jet cabins, has already begun. The first components will be delivered to an undisclosed customer before the end of March, according to company officials.
The workshop capabilities mirror the Peterborough headquarters, but also incorporate new equipment for the St. Louis facility.
To support working with composite materials, a new “Edge Fill” machine fills the voids in composite panels after being cut and shaped by the CNC machine. The addition of two hi-tech paint booths ensures optimal surface appearance before final treatment in the new enclosed curing room. Flying Colours has also invested in a third booth dedicated to painting complex fasteners, and cabinet interiors, company officials report.
The St. Louis footprint is now close to 100,000 square feet and has required the addition of a further 70 team members, making a total of 180 Flying Colours employees based in the USA.
“This is the first full infrastructure development to take place in St. Louis since we acquired the business in 2009,” said Sean Gillespie, Executive VP, Flying Colours Corp. “It was needed as demand for our cabinetry and completion skills was outstripping our capacity. This coincided with a rise in demand for OEM cabinetry work. The expansion reflects our overall strategic approach to business growth, and we’re not done yet as we anticipate a second phase of development in the USA later in the year.”
With facilities in Canada, the USA, and Singapore, global aviation services company Flying Colours Corp specializes in mid- to large-size business aircraft, offering interior refurbishment and modifications, heavy maintenance, exterior paint, special mission modifications, and avionics installations.