FEBRUARY 2016 AviationPros.com 13
COVER STORY
AviationPros.com/11535271
For Eagle, a company that has relied so
much on the quality of the shop, the Tronair
management's interest in manufacturing puts
to rest many of the concerns of those making
the tractors.
"We're going to keep running it and keep
growing it," Dudek says. "And that's what I
want to be a part of."
Lessons Learned
This is not the Tronair's frst time around an
acquisition. Nearly a decade ago, in the spring
of 2006, Tronair purchased the JetPorter
product line. JetPorter's electric, towbarless
tugs were the basis for a whole new division
at Tronair at the time and have driven much of
the company's growth to the point that they've
nearly reached the maximum possible capacity
they're going to be able to reach at their current
facility – another reason for Eagle and crew to
stay put in Taylor for the time being.
The JetPorter integration came with head-
aches, however.
Part of the problem, according to Kaplan,
was that JetPorters were never really made
a part of Tronair prior to the addition of
Akinleye.
"When you decide that you're going to
acquire a business or a product line, you need
to be totally committed to that integration of the
product," Kaplan says. "Everywhere from the
sales line all the way through to the bottom line.
That also includes developing the product and
making sure the product is what it should be."
According to Kaplan, when he and Iddon got
to Tronair two years ago, their aforementioned
trip to NBAA 2013 included certain revelations
regarding their largest pieces of equipment.
"The frst that struck us was we had this
gigantic blue thing taking up all the space in
our booth," Kaplan says. "But it was amazing
how many people came to the booth who didn't
know that we sold them and it was shocking
how few we sold.
"So as we started to kind of peel the onion
back, as you do when you're new to a business,
we realized there was no dedicated sales force
to this product. I think the belief had been that
it would just sort of melt in to the jacks, and
the tow bars, and the hydraulic power units
and everything else. But it won't, because it's
a whole different sale."
Tronair brass decided that they need a
product manager specifcally for JetPorter.
A conduit for the company to invest time,