Duncan Aviation has shared its plans to expand its MRO sites in Battle Creek, Michigan, and Lincoln, Nebraska, by adding extra hangar space.
“The demand for the safety and flexibility that business aviation travel provides has continued to increase, as has the average size of business aircraft,” said Jeff Lake, president at Duncan Aviation. “This results in increased demand for the hangar space required to complete requested airframe, engine, interior, paint and avionics modifications for the business aircraft fleet. Looking to the future, we know that in order to meet current customer requests and needs, Duncan Aviation will need more hangar facilities.”
The company is working with long-time partner Tectonic Management Group to build, at both locations, a 46,000ft² (4,274m²) hangar with 32ft (9.75m)-high hangar doors and an additional 62,000ft² (5,760m²) two-floor wing for storage and backshops. The total expected investment for both sites is approximately US$66m.
“Duncan Aviation has consistently reinvested at least 80% of its profits back into the company and its team members in the form of facility expansions and capital improvements,” said Lake.
Sustainability features for the new hangars and buildings include light harvesting, radiant floor heating with energy-efficient boilers, LED lighting fixtures with sensors and automatic dimming, and more. Frank Jacobsen, vice president with Tectonic, said the buildings and systems will perform more than 25% better than standard energy codes.
Site preparation will begin this Spring at both sites, with completion expected in Michigan in Summer 2023, and in Nebraska in Autumn 2023, just a few months later.
When construction is complete, Duncan Aviation will have 769,000ft² (71,442m²) of hangar space and shop, office and storage areas in Lincoln. The Battle Creek location will have 443,000ft² (41,156m²) of hangar, office, shop and storage space.
The increased footprint for aircraft projects will require the addition of 65 to 75 team members at each location over a five-year period, Lake said. Those jobs will include airframe technicians as well as positions covering interiors, installations, engine, paint and the support shops.
Mike Minchow, chief operating officer at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln location, said the new hangars will be the largest the company has built to-date. “We are excited not only to be building additional hangars to give us more room and greater flexibility in the near term, but to continue to grow with where the market is headed both in aircraft size and the number of inspections expected in the future,” he said. “In addition, we are excited to create up to 75 career opportunities for new team members in Lincoln and Battle Creek, and we have already started to recruit team members to fill the additional positions.”
“Over the past 66 years, Duncan Aviation has grown an increasingly loyal and diverse customer base that depends on the quality service and friendly customer experience provided by our teams,” said Andy Richards, chief operating officer at Duncan Aviation’s Battle Creek location. “The expansion will increase our ability to attract even more customers to the Duncan Aviation family.”
