Forward Thinking

FMC Airport Systems' global ground support team offers a look ahead to trends and events that could affect our industry, reports Michelle Garetson

January 2004

While no one in aviation possesses a crystal ball to see the future of the industry, GSE manufacturers really have to monitor changes taking place to predict how those changes will affect the industry and more importantly, their customers' requirements. Recently, Ground Support Magazine had the opportunity to speak with members of the Global Ground Support Equipment team from FMC: Chuck Durst, General Manager; Nick Heemskerk, Product Development Manager; and Gene Johnson, Business Development & Marketing Manager, and hear what they think will happen to the ground support industry in the near term and in the future.

Defining the divisions
Johnson offers that FMC Technologies has continued to evolve with innovative technology for over 100 years -from citrus sprayer to deicer, military equipment to cargo handling equipment and more. FMC came on to the airline scene in the 1960's and now boasts a large network of agents and distributors with more than 200 customers and coverage in over 130 countries and is comprised of three business units:

1. Jetway in Ogden, UT with Dale Sumpter as its General Manager.
2. FAS - (FMC Airport Services) also in Ogden and headed by Barbara Hermann.
3. GSE Business, which is headquartered in Orlando, FL with Chuck Durst, General Manager at the helm. FMC also has sales and service offices in London, Singapore, Beijing, and Madrid, which is also a manufacturing facility. FMC also has offices (corporate locations) that do sales and service in South Africa and Australia.

Industry Trends


FMC's global ground support team: (L to R) Nick Heemskerk, Chuck Durst, and Gene Johnson.









Geography lessons










FMC product rollouts in 2004