AUGUSTA, KS—March 30, 2017—George Canale and Bill Vickers have been working together for more than 20 years, since shortly after they both received their Airframe and Powerplant licenses from National Aviation Academy in Clearwater, FL in the late 1990s. By their own admission, they’re almost like family. That undoubtedly contributed to their joint decision to join GlobalParts.aero, the worldwide parts and aviation spares distributor headquartered in August, Kansas when their 18-year contract with Parker Hannifin recently reached an end. “GlobalParts.aero is a dynamic company that continues to grow…but has a real family feel to it, too,” Canale pointed out, adding that “Bill and I have worked with them in our roles with Parker over the years. Now that they’re expanding their business model to include the helicopter marketplace it certainly didn’t take us long to accept their invitation to join the company and add our experience to an exceptional team.”
“We’re extremely pleased to have George and Bill become a part of the GlobalParts organization,” said Malissa Nesmith, the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. “They’ve been a very effective team for the past couple of decades and we know they’ll do an exceptional job of building our network in this important segment.” Both Canale and Vickers have been designated Sales and Business Development Executives at GlobalParts.aero with responsibilities of developing the company’s helicopter-related business, working with vendors and suppliers to grow its capabilities and increasing sales to an expanded customer base.
Both Canale and Vickers have very similar industry backgrounds. Born at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois where his father was stationed, Canale moved to Florida at an early age and graduated from Seminole High School in Seminole before entering the National Aviation Academy in Clearwater. There he earned both a Private Pilot’s license and an Airframe and Powerplant (A & P) certificate. Vickers was born in Tampa but moved to Washington state as a youth, graduating from Richland High School in Richland and attending Columbia Basin College in Pasco. He also earned an A&P license at National Aviation Academy.
Canale began his aviation career as a technician at an authorized Bell Helicopter Service Center at Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, West Florida Helicopters. After 3 years there, he moved to Tampa and spent five years at Sunstate Propellers before leaving in 1997 to join National Flight Sales Corporation as a sales and marketing representative for Parker.
Vickers earned his Private Pilot’s license at Diamond Aviation in Savannah, Georgia after leaving National Aviation Academy with his A&P and went to work for Tampa North Maintenance Center working on fixed and rotary wing aircraft. He moved to National Flight Sales Corporation in 1998.
Together, the pair started Turbine Aircraft Support Group in 2004, providing sales and marketing representation for Honeywell Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) products for Firstmark Aerospace and and similar services for AvGroup of Atlanta, Georgia, as well. They added Parker, with whom they had worked previously, as a full-time client in 2006.
“We were introduced to GlobalParts.aero’s CEO, Troy Palmer, by a mutual friend, Ed Tomberlin of AvGroup and began working together a number of years ago,” Vickers explained. “We watched Global grow and had occasion to work together through AvGroup and we were obviously impressed with the way they’ve grown their business and expanded their market base. We are looking forward to being a part of this continued growth and introducing our long list of customers to GlobalParts.aero,” he concluded.
GLOBALPARTS Group, Inc.
The Global Parts Group of companies began when GlobalParts.aero was founded in 2003 to serve the worldwide aviation spares market with cost effective, quality parts. GlobalParts.aero is a certified distributor of aviation spares and has earned ISO 9001+AS9120A and ASA-100 accreditation for quality management systems. Expanding from parts distribution with GlobalParts.aero; the Global Parts Group has evolved and grown, adding two Federal Aviation Administration-certified repair stations, an in-house, build-to-print part manufacturing capabilities to its operations and is an affiliate partner to Interceptor Aviation Inc.. The FAA & EASA Certified Part 145 repair stations include Global Parts Aero Services, Inc, specializing in component overhaul/repair services for hydraulics, pneumatics, wheels & brakes, crew oxygen and electronics. The other certified FAA & EASA Part 145 repair station is Global Parts Aero Structures, Inc., with ISO 9001+AS9100C certification, and operations specializing in precision sheet metal repair services for engine cowlings/inlets, thrust reversers, leading edges, and other airframe related articles. The in-house, build to print, part manufacturing service is through Global Parts Aero Manufacturing, Inc. specializing in precision 5-axis machining, including hard metals (titanium and steel) and is also ISO 9001+ AS9100C accredited. Interceptor Aviation Inc., as an affiliate company, is the owner of FAA Type Certificate No. 3A18, which includes all the FAA approved Type Design data and associated intellectual property of the Meyers M200 and Interceptor I400 aircraft models.
