AERO Specialties, Inc. is a manufacturer and international distributor of new and refurbished aircraft ground support equipment (GSE)

Ground Support Equipment

Ground support equipment is the support equipment found at an airport, usually on the ramp, the servicing area by the terminal. This equipment is used to service the aircraft between flights. As its name implies, GSE is there to support the operations of aircraft on the ground...

. AERO Specialties was founded in 1987 by President Matt Sheehan to supply GSE products to corporate, fixed-base operator (FBO)

Fixed base operator

A Fixed-base operator or commonly abbreviated FBO is a term developed in the United States after the passage of the Air Commerce Act of 1926...

, commercial, military

Military aviation

Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...

, and general

General aviation

General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...

 aviation customers globally. AERO Specialties manufactures aircraft diesel-electric hybrid ground power units (GPUs), lavatory, potable water, cleaning, and oxygen/nitrogen servicing carts, as well as aircraft towbars and heads. AERO Specialties is an authorized U.S. distributor for Eagle Tugs, Tug Technologies, TLD, Unitron

Unitron

Unitron is a distributor of optical instruments including microscopes, binoculars, and formerly telescopes made by Nihon Seiko of Japan. The US based company was founded in 1952 and is based in Bohemia, NY...

, Clyde Machines, Wasp, and Stinar.

AERO Specialties has experienced significant international growth due to the expansion of its CE marked

CE mark

CE marking is a mandatory conformity mark for products placed on the market in the European Economic Area . With the CE marking on a product the manufacturer ensures that the product conforms with the essential requirements of the applicable EC directives...

 product line for the European Economic Area

European Economic Area

The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal...

, which was introduced in 2006. Exclusive international distribution agreements with AeroStock of France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Franke Care Systems of Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, TDH Visions of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, Movac Group of Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, and GSE Services Pty Ltd. of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 have contributed to an increased global distribution network for AERO Specialties. An estimated 30 to 40 percent of AERO's business is related to exporting.

AERO Specialties has partnered with Wainbee International to produce its own line of hydraulic power units (HPU) or hydraulic mules. In December 2010, AERO Specialties acquired Australia-based JetGo International, a diesel-electric hybrid GPU manufacturer. JetGo is now manufactured and sold under the AERO brand.

Services

In addition to supplying new and used GSE, AERO Specialties maintains and repairs GSE for clients. Equipment can be refurbished or zero-timed.

AERO Specialties regularly rents and leases GSE for specific purposes or special events.

Events

AERO Specialties provided GSE to all FBOs (Avitat, Landmark Aviation, and Million Air) at Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...

 during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics

2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...

 to meet increased aircraft traffic demands from athletes, fans and organizers. AERO Specialties supplied approximately 40 pieces of equipment including Eagle TT-series pushback tractors, TLD and JetGo GPUs, and AERO brand towbars, towbar heads, lavatory and potable water carts.

AERO Specialties supplied GSE to FBOs for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration and 2009 Super Bowl.

Awards

AERO Specialties received the U.S. Department of Commerce Small Business Association (SBA) Northwest regional exporter award on May 4, 2011. This honor came in addition to being recognized as the SBA exporter of the year in Idaho.

On May 6, 2009, in honor of World Trade Day, AERO Specialties was awarded the U.S. Department of Commerce Commercial Service

United States Commercial Service

The United States Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, which helps U.S. companies succeed in markets around the world. Led by Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General Suresh Kumar and located across the...

 Export Achievement Certificate for recent accomplishments in the global marketplace, presented by the Idaho Export Council.

The Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce awarded AERO Specialties its Small Business of the Year award in June 2002.

Associations and conventions

AERO Specialties is a member of these associations:

• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
  National Business Aviation Association
  National Business Aviation Association or NBAA, is a non-profit and nonpartisan 5016 corporation based in Washington, DC, United States. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies....
  
  
• European Business Aviation Association (EBAA)
• Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
• Idaho Aviation Association (IAA)
• Better Business Bureau
  Better Business Bureau
  The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
  
  

AERO Specialties is a regular exhibitor at these conventions:

• NBAA Annual Convention and Meeting
• European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE)
• Middle East Business Aviation Show (MEBA)
• Cygnus Aviation Expo