Greensboro, North Carolina, February 18th, 2011 –– TIMCO Aerosystems, part of TIMCO Aviation Services, announced this week that it has successfully passed a major milestone in its planned expansion of its Brice Seating division by producing its first FeatherWeight™ 3500 aircraft seats at its facilities in North Carolina.
The first groups of seats off the new assembly line are destined for global airline customers in Asia and the Middle East. With a modular assembly and 25% lighter weight than other standard economy seats, FeatherWeight™ seats can save operators significantly on operations and fuel costs, while still providing passengers with comfort through state-of-the-art materials and design.
The new production line was developed using proven “lean” manufacturing techniques that cut waste and allow for faster, more efficient throughput. They build upon recent innovations and industry best practices implemented at existing operations.
“We are proud of how quickly the TIMCO Aerosystems team was able to implement the seat production operation,” said Kevin Carter, Co-CEO of TIMCO Aviation Services. “We set high standards for the delivery of these seats to our customers, and we wanted to establish a base of success we can carry into our expanded operations later this year.”
Co-CEO Ron Utecht added, “Airlines are seeking solutions in the face of resurging fuel prices. With the new 3500 FeatherWeight™ seat, we provide them a means of reducing aircraft weight to save on costs.”
The TIMCO Aviation Services family of companies includes TIMCO, one of the world’s largest independent aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (“MRO”) service providers. Its sister company, TIMCO Aerosystems, is one of a select few providers that can support its customers with a full spectrum of cabin solutions including state-of-the-art design engineering; interiors and structures manufacture including the FeatherWeight™ line of galleys, lavatories and Brice seating; integration project management; and certification services under its FAA ODA Authority.
