A year ago, under previous ownership, Dayton’s future was uncertain. Today it is thriving.
In December 2023, Christmas in Dayton was looking bleak. The previous owner of the PremierMRO Dayton facility was about to close it, lay off the whole team, and shift work to its other facilities. But flight departments throughout the upper Midwest and beyond counted on the Dayton Part 145 repair station. It was worth saving.
“One of the great things about our Dayton operation is the cohesiveness of the team,” said maintenance VP Steve Purvis. “Average employee tenure is 15 years. We know how to work together across disciplines to support operators. We didn’t want to lose that.”
Down in Stuart, Florida, Premier Private Jets CEO Josh Birmingham was contemplating a way to expand in-house maintenance for Premier’s fleet of Citations and Hawkers. He also wanted to offer these capabilities to a wider group of operators.
Josh’s eleventh hour bid for the Dayton facility was successful, saving the jobs of 50 professions with long experience in airframe and engine maintenance, avionics, paint and interiors.
The deal was announced publicly in February 2024. While the Dayton team was intact, many core customers had shifted their business elsewhere, and virtually all supplier/dealer contracts had to be renewed, which took time.
The company rebranded as a Premier company, but the name was not well known outside of charter markets. Some business aircraft operators wondered whether the service facility still existed.
Those were significant challenges just a year ago, met head on by Purvis, General Manager Paul Wells, VP Sales Ron Jennings, the whole Dayton team, plus others in senior management at parent Premier Private Jets.
One of the first objectives was to restore and expand dealer relations with prominent names in aviation, including Garmin, Universal, Blackhawk, Williams Engines, Raisbeck and others.
A second task was to boost awareness for a great paint shop and fill up slots, as well as remind the market of Dayton’s extensive interior refurb capabilities. Then there was the task of getting the word out to operators of the popular brands served by Dayton—King Airs, Citations, Hawkers, and Beechjet-series aircraft, especially.
Gradually the shops began to fill up, the paint booth became a humming operation. Dayton interiors customers started to enjoy that new leather smell.
Value and quality (doing things rights the first time) became PremierMRO’s bywords, and that message resonated among efficiency-focused charter operations and traditional flight departments.
“After some lean months, loyal customers returned and new customers discovered what a great, comprehensive operation we have here—a one-stop shop for virtually any aircraft service need,” said Purvis.
By year end, the Dayton operation was on a roll and Birmingham made another bold step, acquiring the 67-year-old, esteemed ASI fixed base operation, adding 20,000 square feet of hangar and office space and a whopping 195,000 feet of ramp area. Premier will be ready to service airliner-sized charters for the upcoming final four playoffs and other visits.
Meanwhile, the company has signed a contract to supply the Defense Logistics Agency fueling services for 700,000 gallons of Jet-A, a big win. With continued growth, Premier plans a career open fair in March.
“What a difference a year makes,” says Purvis. “Best of all, we continue to add the sorts of dealer offerings and services clients want.” The company plans a big open house celebration as the weather warms toward summer.