34 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE MARCH 2016
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Additionally, an all-inclusive leasing system
can include training budgets for new employees
and continuing education to maintain situational
awareness for those already on staff.
"There should be naturally ongoing training
regardless of what you're buying," Neil Bennett,
managing director at Somerset Aviation Capital,
says. "I think that's just a general safety thing that
everyone should be doing."
All that planned training can come in handy
when the lease ends and ramp staff has the op-
portunity to get brand new equipment – often
decades before that equipment would reach the
ramp. Brand new equipment, maintenance, train-
ing and a consistent monthly payment? Sign me
up. You know, if I were in the market.
Sure, by defnition lessees don't own their GSE
outright, and they don't get that sweet, sweet re-
sale money. But they also don't have the hassle
of selling their own equipment. Leasing seems to
be a simplifed way of acquiring equipment, not
to mention being a client instead of an owner. It
just makes life easier for maintenance and repair.
And sure, the payments never end if you lease the
feet. But lessees have brand new, reliable equip-
ment on the ramp and new stuff coming in all
the time. Fewer machines, more productivity, less
responsibility.
On the manufacturer side, regular lease turn-
over churns demand in the GSE industry. New
leases often demand new equipment, and GSE
leasing frms have reason and necessity to buy
shiny new equipment for their clients.
All that used equipment can go a couple of
different ways. A quick refurbishment and some
maintenance can get it back on the ramp in an-
other lease or, after that 20-year-old tractor runs
its life cycle, make a sale and ship it out to fuel
that boom going on in the BRIC countries.
Is this all a touch altruistic? Absolutely. But we
could all use a little more altruism in our lives.
What's your feet strategy? Ownership? Leas-
ing? A combination of the two? Let me know @
GroundSupportWW on Twitter or email me,
awendland@AviationPros.com.
A New Lease on GSE
I
n my industry, content is king. In business though? Consistency is
key. Reliable, all-inclusive payments allow ground handlers with
lease-heavy GSE feets to plan for the long term rather than nav-
igating surprise break downs and the necessity for feet back-ups.
I'm not a numbers guy. Never have been, never will be.
But working on our cover story this month led me to
believe a lease-heavy feet is best for business.