AAR makes plan for Lake City facility after HAECO acquisition

LAKE CITY, Fla. (WCJB) - HAECO Americas was purchased last week by AAR, another aviation services operation.

Last week, AAR leaders were on site in Lake City to start the integration process. They did a deep dive on the current state of business, where things stand with their customers, and what needs to be done moving forward.

Employees will have no change to how they’re paid or to their benefits. AAR officials say the acquisition was well-received by the workforce and management team. They also say the workforce at the facility is unique because you see mothers and fathers working with their sons and daughters.

RELATED: Major Lake City employer HAECO Americas sold to AAR

Tom Hoferer, the senior vice president of repair and engineering for AAR, says there is a lot of demand for maintenance, repair, and overhaul. And the reality is there’s more work than they can handle in their facilities right now.

“You know, operating in a standard, consistent way across all the sites is important for us to run an efficient business, and it’s also important for our customers,” Hoferer shared. “They want to be able to expect the same quality performance from Lake City, Oklahoma City, or Rockford, Illinois. It has to be the same.”

HAECO is one of the largest private employers in Columbia County. The company’s total workforce in Lake City is about 600 people.

AAR officials say employees seemed excited and engaged.

“The reality is, the site needs some investment. We knew that coming in, so that’s what we spent a fair amount of time talking about,” Hoferer said. “You know, what are those investments we can make, and where can we make investments that matter the most to our employees and our customers in a very quick fashion?”

As part of the acquisition, AAR secured $850 million in contracts between the Lake City and North Carolina locations.

AAR officials say they are a growth-minded company. This is why over the next 90 days, they will evaluate what improvements and investments need to be made within the Lake City facility.

Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.