STS Aviation Group’s Newsletter (Q2 – 2016)
Welcome to STS Aviation Group‘s second newsletter of 2016. Today, we’re going to give you an update on what’s happening around the company and what you can expect in the very near future.
We have seven quality articles for you to enjoy, so sit back, relax and have fun. If questions arise throughout, each author’s byline is linked to their email address, and you are more than welcome to reach out at any time. Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you all again very soon!
MRO Americas Opens New Doors for STS Aviation Group
By P.J. Anson — CEO, STS Aviation Group
MRO Americas 2016 was a huge success, not only for STS Aviation Group but for everyone I had the pleasure of meeting with both during and after the event. Connections were made, relationships were formed and expectations were exceeded. I’m proud to have been in attendance this year, and I’m prouder still of how my team banded together to deliver a very successful show for our company.
One of the coolest things about this year’s MRO Americas, at least from an STS standpoint, was that we were able to host an amazing welcome party at American Airlines’ C.R. Smith Museum of Flight in Dallas. The event was truly something to behold as the museum’s grounds provided the perfect setting to what ultimately evolved into an incredible evening of networking and fun. For those who made it out, we really enjoyed seeing you all, and we look forward to doing it again soon.
The entire STS team was also proud to showcase a brand new exhibition booth during this year’s MRO Americas. And as you can see from the image gallery below, the new booth is not only modern in its design and beautiful to behold, it’s also highly functional with respect to its two meeting rooms; allowing us to conduct on-ground interviews with both existing and prospective business partners.
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When the event was over, each STS team member returned to the office with the feeling that this year’s MRO Americas might have been the best we’ve ever attended.
New opportunities are on the horizon, and everyone at our company is excited about the future. STS helps to keep airplanes flying, and together, we will continue to do that quicker, faster and safer than anyone else in the industry.
Thank you all for your time today, and please take care of yourselves.
STS Client Services Builds Working Relationships that Matter
By Tamsin Brosche — Director of Client Services, STS Aviation Group
As the Director of STS Client Services, my job is to make sure our recruitment teams utilize every hiring advantage available in order to meet the needs of our customers.
So far, in 2016, there has been a growing demand for Aircraft Mechanics, and that has kept us all very busy. Not only are new orders flying in, we’ve been working very hard to ensure that STS’ clients are able to hire the most adeptly qualified Aircraft Maintenance Technicians in the business. In order for that to happen, however, a lot of back-and-forth communication is required.
In addition to acting as a liaison between our customers and recruiting departments, STS Client Services is responsible for coordinating hiring demands, as well as distributing resume feedback and candidate performance to our teams. But acting as a liaison between STS’ clients and its recruiting departments is just the beginning for me and my team.
Most of my department’s time throughout the day involves following up with clients regarding the submitted candidates we’ve sent. This is done in an effort to move the hiring process along. That means we oversee all resume submittals, hires, terms, etc… and when more bodies are needed at a client location, it’s up to Client Services to ensure that we have the information required to get Aircraft Mechanics and Engineers on the ground and working.
Given the challenges we all face in today’s aerospace labor market, it’s crucial that we keep the lines of communication between STS and its customers open at all times. We operate in a fluid, ever-changing environment, and the professionals at STS Client Services are required to understand, implement and execute those changes without hesitation. When all things click together, the hiring process goes smoothly and without delay.
AT STS Client Services, we believe honesty, diligence and open communication are what make our scalable aviation recruitment programs so successful.
It’s a hectic hiring world out there, but we will always have your back and do everything in our power to make sure that our Aerospace Mechanics and Engineers show up to the job site excited, eager and ready to do amazing work.
Thank you so much for reading my article. If you have questions, I can be reached at Tamsin.Brosche@stsaerostaff.com
STS AeroStaff Services Launches into the Future
By Brian Boje — Senior Director of Recruiting, STS AeroStaff Services
According to an article published by Aviation International News, Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer and other aircraft manufacturers have warned that nearly half-million pilots will be needed to fill cockpits over the next 20 years. Often overlooked, however, is the growing need for an even greater number of Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs).
The current forecast projects that approximately 600,000 Aircraft Mechanics will be needed by 2031. As the article referenced above explained, “retirement is a main cause for this worker shortage.”
Another article on the same topic but published by Aviation Maintenance said, “Instructors will be in heavy demand as well, for example, FlightSafety likes to see 10 years of job experience, with at least five of these being on heavy jets. Finding a suitable teacher can take up to seven months.”
Keeping these growing needs in mind, STS AeroStaff Services can easily help you and your teams find qualified Aircraft Maintenance Technicians during this time of shortage, and here’s how.
First, we have more than 70 experienced Aviation Recruitment professionals working for us, and these people do nothing but seek out and find the best AMT’s in the business. We build relationships with each candidate, and we put them to work at client facilities all across the United States (and in some cases, the world).
STS AeroStaff Services’ Recruiting department is made up of the best Aviation Recruiters in the business, and they are trained by a leadership team that has been conducting aviation staffing operations for more than 30 years. We have the skills and knowledge needed to supplement any of your workforce requirements, and we do it better, and faster, than anyone else in the business.
In addition to our seasoned team of recruitment professionals, we continue to invest a considerable amount of time, energy and resources in developing the technical side of our aviation recruitment operations. For example, we spent a considerable amount of money in Q1 of 2016 on premium online advertising as well as the development of a new, modern jobs board that is flush with mobile apply solutions, sixty-second quick apply forms, etc. The new aviation jobs board is slated to roll out in the next few weeks, and it is going to be a game changer for our company. We can’t wait for you all to experience it.
My name is Brian Boje, and I am the Senior Director of Recruiting at STS AeroStaff Services. Thanks for taking the time today, and please read on, and enjoy the rest of our newsletter.
Technology Gives STS AeroStaff Services the Hiring Advantage
By Rachel Hood — Manager of Technical Recruiting, STS AeroStaff Services
Like it or not, the aviation recruitment landscape has changed. What was once an industry dominated by database searches, outbound calls and traditional marketing techniques has evolved into a fast-paced world where time is money and speed is paramount.
Hello, everyone. My name is Rachel Hood, and if you’re an avid reader of STS Aviation Group’s online content, you know that I have the distinct pleasure of leading an incredible team of people who’s main focus is to seek out and find Aerospace Engineers and Aviation Technical Specialists on behalf of STS’ clients. I have been with the company for more than 12 years now, and during that time, the recruitment game has evolved; quite drastically, I might add.
Traditional recruiting methods have been replaced by modern practices. People no longer turn to wanted ads in their local papers in an effort to find work. Instead, they go online, visit social media sites, upload resumes to internet databases and network with hiring managers via websites like LinkedIn. Video chat is quickly becoming the standard for interviews, text messaging is a crucial part of the recruitment process and email marketing is a go-to tool in every hiring manager’s arsenal.
Long story short, the recruiting landscape I operated in 12 years ago has transformed into something modern and sleek. It is more efficient, less cumbersome and magnified in the sense that we now have the ability to tailor messages and deliver them to the masses rather than regurgitate that same message over and over again to one person at a time.
Recruiting Aerospace Engineers and Aviation Technical Specialist isn’t always easy. If you were to take the entire United States workforce and call that 100 percent, Aerospace Engineers would make up approximately 0.005 percent of that very same workforce. That means finding the candidates our clients depend on is difficult, but when we couple knowledge with technology, STS’ recruitment team is able to hone its efforts and deliver relevant content directly to aerospace job seekers on an as-needed basis. This, perhaps more than anything else, gives us the ability to consistently find, screen and hire the best Aircraft Engineers in the business.
Thank you all so much for taking the time, and if you have questions, feel free to email me. My address is rachel.hood@stsengineering.com.
STS Air-Pro: Re-engineering and the Introduction of Lean Manufacturing
By Tom Covella — Group President, STS Component Solutions
When STS acquired the assets of Air-Pro and created STS Air-Pro, we understood that there were opportunities to improve the business. The company had a strong brand name, a highly skilled and dedicated workforce and excellent capabilities for the manufacturing of aerospace hoses. One of the biggest opportunities that we recognized, however, was the opportunity to re-engineer the business and implement lean manufacturing principles.
STS Aviation Group spent more than six months evaluating Air-Pro’s processes and procedures while searching for a new building to relocate the business. We eventually secured a new state-of-the-art facility in Miramar, Florida, which features more than 12,500 square feet of open space and provides STS with a layout that ultimately helped us successfully introduce lean principles into the business.
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The introduction of lean manufacturing was a new concept for the STS Air-Pro team, and there was the process of obtaining necessary “buy-in” from them before we could implement new principles.
According to Eric James, Director of Operations for STS Air-Pro “It was easy to be so focused on current production while not seeing the bigger picture that focused on how productivity could be improved. Moving the facility to Miramar allowed us to take a look at how things were operating and how things could be improved if we were to setup the production as a true benefit to the process. Sometimes, changing things with a veteran crew could have a negative impact on the employees, so we approached this challenge with an open mind and couldn’t be happier with the results so far.”
In order to engage everyone in the process, which is one of the key factors in introducing lean manufacturing, the STS team brainstormed with its production colleagues and brought in a lean-experienced professional to help us come up with some new ideas.
We decided to break up a typical job into various steps prior to analyzing each step. Some questions we asked ourselves were, “Can each step be expedited? Can we combine steps with another step? Can one step be worked on while waiting for something else?” These questions led us to look at our machinery to see how it could be setup in a way that would keep similar processes together and the whole process flowing in the same direction without having to back track. So, with the information we collected, we set up our machines in a way that would work for all like processes and production flow.
In short, the new STS Air-Pro facility’s layout design and machine configuration has dramatically helped increase our ability to process manufacturing orders rapidly, and early results have been extremely positive.
In the past year, we have experienced increased performance across the board and have recently recorded the best three months of revenue and productivity since the acquisition. For example, a typical month for STS Air-Pro prior to being in our new facility was to produce 1700ea to 2500ea hoses a month. These numbers have since increased to roughly 4000ea a month. Obviously, an increase in sales orders has a lot to do with the increase in hose output, but these numbers would not be possible without the changes we made to the machine layout at our new facility.
We are very proud of how the team has embraced the new processors and principles that we’ve been able to introduce across the business, and we are confident that we have built a solid foundation that is now capable of supporting continued growth.
It is a very exciting time for STS Air-Pro as the business has a new facility, a new ERP team, new leadership depth and a very energized crew that is ready to take the business to new heights.
STS Air-Pro is now poised to become the market leader in Aerospace and Industrial flex hose production and distribution, and if you would like to learn more, please visit our website.
STS Expands its Aircraft Engineering Services in Latin America
By Randy Steenholdt — Sr. Vice President of Engineering, STS Engineering Solutions
The expansion of STS Engineering Solutions‘ (STSES) stronghold in Latin America has been both challenging and rewarding. Based on the fact that business potentially follows after establishing credible / meaningful relationships, STSES started sowing the seed, so to speak, more than two years ago. Our Business Development (BD) team culminated this necessary relationship upon participating in local Latin American MROs. In addition, understanding our customers’ needs became paramount, and upon receiving our first engineering projects in the region, cost-effective and prompt follow-up service was required at all times.
Aircraft certification challenges are monumental when dealing with four regulatory agencies: FAA, ANAC, DGAC and EASA. Whereas the individual Bi-Lateral Agreements provide guidance for acceptance of major repairs with 8110-3 approval, minor repairs are not addressed. Additionally, PMA and STC’s require specific Latin American review and approval based on varying certification aspects. STS Engineering Solutions is working with all noted agencies to build our relationship and seek the efficiency we depend on to deliver the best engineering product.
To date, STS Engineering Solutions is providing 24/7 Liaison Engineering to approximately 85% of U.S. operators. The same successful business model that helped build this company is propelling our expansion in both Latin America and Europe, and we are committed to providing all of our valued customers cost-effective and prompt engineering support.
Have questions? We encourage you to contact us at any time discuss your company’s aerospace engineering requirements.
STS Line Maintenance Looks Forward to Sunny Skies
By Robby Bush — Vice President / General Manager at STS Line Maintenance
Good day to all of STS Line Maintenance‘s valued customers!
Winter may be coming to Westeros, but summer is coming to North America, and that means clear skies and smooth flying awaits. I know I speak for the entire STS Line Maintenance team when I say that we are very much looking forward to warm weather and great flying conditions, and I bet you all are, too.
It amazes me, sometimes, when I step back to look at how far our Line Maintenance company has come. We’ve opened four new stations in the past 24 months, and we’re excited to get additional operations going out of JFK and HPN (White Plains, N.Y.) in the very near future. Our team is eager to serve our customers’ growing needs at those hubs, and we are very much looking forward to getting those two operations fully up and running.
For those of you who are interested, the quality side of our Line Maintenance business is growing as well. We recently added William Ahern (Manager of Quality and Training) to the team and ask that you please do not hesitate to reach out to him directly if you have any questions. We welcome his leadership and many years of experience and are lucky to have him. Check out his LinkedIn profile by clicking on his name above. It’s impressive.
Well… that’s all I have for now! We wish you the best in the upcoming months, and please enjoy the nice summer flying weather. Other than that, be safe out there, and we’ll see you all on the flight line!
Oh… wait one second. I almost forgot to mention. STS Line Maintenance is hiring right now, and if you would like to speak with a Recruiter, please call 1-877-707-5767. Otherwise, all available positions can be found online simply by clicking this link: http://bit.ly/1T6Z6jJ
STS Aviation Group is Hiring a Director of Human Resources
STS Aviation Group is now hiring a Director of Human Resources to become an integral part of our growing aerospace team. This position is full-time and will be based out of our headquarter office in Jensen Beach, Florida. Apply now!
STS Aviation Group Takes Off for ALTA CCMA in Sunny Fajardo, P.R.
On the first day, you can find the STS team in the sand participating in the annual beach volleyball tournament. Other sports tournaments include golf and tennis and a family day lunch. Later in the day, the exhibition area opens and the STS team will be ready at Booth E-05 to discuss all things aviation. Learn more!
STS Component Solutions’ Hot Product
Did you know that STS Component Solutions is an authorized distributor of Arrowhead Products?
Right now, we are offering special purchasing deals on the Insulation Blanket listed above. It is in new condition and can be easily traced back to the OEM.
Applications: B737
Please contact us today for more information.