WACO, Texas, August 10, 2012 – Blackhawk, the aviation industry’s leading provider of performance improvements for single- and twin-engine turboprop aircraft, has added new staff members to help meet demand for its products in Brazil and other nations in South America.
Mauricio Onesti Melro has been appointed Director of Marketing and Sales, and Lucimeia Pires Murta will manage Sales and Customer Support. Both will focus exclusively on Blackhawk’s market in Brazil, the largest in South America with the most civil aircraft in service.
Current and potential Blackhawk customers can meet with Blackhawk team members at the 2012 Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE) in São Paulo, Brazil, Aug. 15-17. Show visitors are invited to reception starting at 3 p.m. on August 15 at the company exhibit, Number 4022. The company will spotlight performance upgrade packages, featuring new Pratt & Whitney Canada engines, for King Air 90s and 208B Caravans, and a range of other upgrades for King Airs, Cheyennes and Conquests are available.
“Mauricio and Luci bring specialized expertise and focus to the Brazilian market and demonstrate the Blackhawk commitment to these operators, current and future,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk President and CEO. “We are enthusiastic about further strengthening our relationships with the Brazilian aviation community and helping these operators improve performance and reduce costs.”
Melro, a private pilot who resides in Sorocaba, has worked in aviation maintenance, sales and consulting for nearly 20 years. He also has promoted Brazilian economic development and civil aviation, serving as a director for the Associação de Pilotos e Proprietários de Aeronaves. He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Universidade Paulista in São Paulo and completed several graduate and professional courses.
Pires brings 15 years of experience in aviation maintenance, procurement and marketing, most recently as a sales representative for the Brazilian office of a global aviation parts distributor. A native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where she still lives, Pires holds a BA in international trade and an MBA from the Fundação Dom Cabral.
Blackhawk, founded in 1999 in Waco, Texas, is a recognized aviation leader in providing engine performance solutions to the turboprop fleet. The company has the largest installed fleet of STC twin-engine turboprop engine upgrades, and is the largest non-OEM buyer of new Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines in the world. A worldwide network of approved dealers and service support centers complements Blackhawk’s U.S. facilities. For more information, visit www.blackhawk.aero.
