SkyTower team prides itself on providing airlines around the world with large scale capability and support while maintaining dynamic personalized customer service that is unmatched by any competition.
SkyTower Aviation recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Smarter, Faster, Stronger, fly with the Best! SkyTower has a singular focus – to provide the very best comprehensive support solutions to the worlds leading commercial airlines. Since the entry into service in 1997, Airlines around the world have trusted Skytower to provide support and solutions and they haven’t looked back since, On the occasion of their silver jubilee we had a chance to speak to Brad Young, the CEO and Managing Director of SkyTower Aviation, our MRO of the Month.
A team that never quits
Brad attributes this success wholly to the people, the customers, the team members, their supporting network, and even the competitors. At this emotional moment of achieving an incredible milestone, Brad remembers the highs and lows of being in business, “25 years in business comes with lots of highs and lows, triumphs, and challenges. I think what I am most proud of is our ability to not only face but overcome the adversity we have seen over the years. Growth, opportunity, and success are all good…but there is something special about a team that never quits. More than anything our mentality and our grit is what has allowed us to operate successfully for all these years. Much respect and gratitude for all those who have paved the way.” Brad’s trust and vote of confidence in his team have made SkyTower one of the leading suppliers of comprehensive aviation fleet support services including maintenance project management, aircraft material support, and fleet management solutions for the commercial and cargo segments of the airline industry.
Going ahead, he remembers how his father, Dennis Young, started Skytower in 1997 with a massive leap of faith loaded with risk. “It’s from him I received my ambitious cowboy spirit,” he recollects. “I’d also like to acknowledge our Director of Operations Ms. Jena Forrest who has been with Skytower since 2012. Our VP of Sales Ken Meissner – also a tenured Skytower veteran, our Director of Finance Mr. Rahmeen Seyyedy, and our Sales Team members Saurabh Tripathi, Regional Director, Middle East, and Asia, and Gurinder Rai, Regional Director Sales, Asia Pacific,” he further adds.
A burning desire to succeed at all costs
Recalling his early days, Brad’s source of inspiration for entering the aviation field is his father. He had never planned a career in aviation but circumstances and necessity led him to dive headfirst into the aviation industry. With a heavy heart, Brad recollects the early tough days, “At the young age of 20 I was facing some very challenging life situations. My father introduced me to aviation, and I was immediately exposed to some extreme adversity within my first 2 years in the industry. I felt obligated and passionate about being there for the people who were always there for me,” The burning desire to succeed at all costs drove him headfirst into growth mode and allowed him to operate with a mentality that would not allow me to ever quit. He further adds, “As my success in the industry continued to shape my life for the positive, I simultaneously was struck with a love and passion for aviation. I was able to see deep down past the surface level of part numbers and financial figures, and see just how special this industry truly is.”
Embracing competition, a cut above the rest!
At the core, SkyTower is a service-oriented solution provider based on building deep trust-based relationships with clients. They are fully integrated into their client’s supply chain and operate on the core values of reliability, agility, and operational excellence. Led by passionate, goal-aligned individuals and driven by an unyielding commitment to our customers along with a strong determination to succeed sets SkyTower apart from its competitors. Speaking about market competition Brad’s face lit up with delight, “Aha! I embrace the competition as I am extremely competitive by nature. Right now, there is a lot of good competition. Competition is something we talk about often and openly within our company. With that said, I know in my heart the most important thing is that we play our game. We are great at what we do, and our service speaks for itself.” Brad’s unyielding trust in his work and team speaks for itself with SKyTower’s products and services. SkyTower team prides itself on providing airlines around the world with large-scale capability and support while maintaining dynamic personalized customer service that is unmatched by any competition. They provide not just high quality, low cost, expedited material in support of airline fleets around the world but also understand that each clients’ operational strategy varies and thus go to great lengths to understand, integrate and support each customers’ operational objectives into our partnerships.
Client feedback
SkyTower’s clients are full of praises for them. The Director of Engineering, Commercial Airline in Asia said, “If it wasn’t for the project team at Skytower, our aircraft would have never left at the maintenance facility.” The Maintenance Project Supervisor of a U.S. Based Cargo Airline said, “When I am in a tight spot, I know I can look to Skytower. They deliver on time and budget, and always do what it takes to get the job done for us.”
Accreditations
Skytower Aviation is an ASA-100/ FAA-0056 Accredited company that operates strictly within the guidelines set forth by the Airline Suppliers Association. Their procedures are strictly regulated through quarterly self-audits and a continuous management review program.
Skytower manages secured, certified, and insured facilities which are under 24-hour surveillance. All material is segregated and managed by ASA-100/ FAA-0056 storage requirements. To ensure compliance with these standards they perform regular stock audits – and also provide customers with the ability to perform physical audits upon written request.
Pandemic and SkyTower Aviation
The Pandemic that shook the entire aviation had a deep impact on SkyTower too. Recalling the dreaded day of March 13 2020 Brad says, “We dealt with this crisis the same way we dealt with 9/11, the same way we dealt with the Recession of 2008, the same way we dealt with internal struggles from 2008-2014. We recognized the threat, we committed to the mission, and we swore to fight with everything we had. Here in the U.S. Covid hit like a lightning storm. The lockdowns hit very quickly starting on a Friday, March 13, 2020. The whole world, the whole industry was in turmoil. Friends, colleagues, and respected competitors were melting down and everyone was in panic mode“.
Monday, March 16, we called a meeting. We called it War Time meeting. I created a presentation about what we were facing, what the challenges would be, and how we would respond to them. As always the Skytower team didn’t flinch. When every fiber of our being said to roll over, we found a way to stand and deliver. As it turns out, we not only survived during the pandemic but we found a way to thrive.
Turning adversary into victory
However, SkyTower turned this adversary into a challenge and came out victorious. They found a way to leverage the buyers’ market. “We invested in assets and inventory that bolstered our sales and put us in a position to add value to our efforts to support customer fleets and global fleet trends. We’ve been more aggressive than ever with purchasing, investing in repairs, and placing inventory on the shelf. Also finding ways to mitigate supply chain issues,” Brad continues. “The pandemic didn’t come without challenges for us. We have faced severe delays with repair vendors, piece parts from OEMs, inflation, and all other market challenges people are talking about.”
Brad further continues, “We determined early on that as an Airline supplier we were deemed an essential business. With the commitment and cooperation Of our team members, we were able to stay open and operate out of our headquarters and our Arizona facility throughout the pandemic. Big thanks to the Aviation Suppliers Association for standing up for companies like us, and providing us with crucial information in real-time as the pandemic unfolded. Our commitment and hard work ultimately allowed us to support our cargo customers who flew personal protective equipment, hospital supplies, and eventually the vaccines. In a small way, I’d like to think we did our part to fight the pandemic.”
Workforce Shortage
Now that the pandemic is behind us, the biggest problem that looms before the aviation industry is that of workforce shortage. Commenting on this problem, Brad says, “I think people need to be inspired again. We need to get back to having a sense of community and people taking pride in contributing to that community.” Giving his word of advice to the youngsters who were eager to pursue a career in the aerospace industry before the pandemic but now are shying away due to an uncertain future, Brad advises, “Aviation is here to stay. The world is becoming more accessible with low-cost carriers,
E-Commerce is booming, we are seeing lots of pent-up travel demand. All industries were affected by the pandemic, aviation has always been able to rally around the crisis, and we will do so again. I believe 2022-2030 will see the most opportunity for companies and individuals that we have ever seen. This industry is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for a challenge and a career you are passionate about, dive in!” he concludes.
Aftermarket recovery
Speaking about the aftermarket recovery post-pandemic Brad feels that the aftermarket will thrive. He further goes on to explain the situation, “Initially most people thought there would be a massive influx of teardown aircraft. We have seen some of this, but a lot of these aircraft are being put back in the air. This means less available Spares from teardown, and more demand for aircraft going through the return to service,” He continues, “OEMs are delayed driving the demand, and the aftermarket is chaotic. I think component values will soar and airlines will rely more than ever on trusted aftermarket suppliers. As the airlines lean on their aftermarket supplier base, I think they will realize an even greater value in the services we provide outside of just parts support. I think the future is bright.”
Expansion plans – ‘Conquering the present’
For the past few years, even mid pandemic, Skytower has realized tremendous growth. SkyTower focuses to build the foundation that will put them in a position to realize the growth we seek in a structured and efficient manner. Systems, processes, procedures, and workflow solutions. When asked about the expansion plans down the decade, Brad believes firmly in vision and strategic planning. “I also believe in focusing on the now and putting one foot in front of the other. Trusting instincts. Right now, I’m focused on a successful April 2022, and a successful Q2 2022. To conquer the future, we must first conquer the present!” he exclaimed
Attributing the success once again to his team Brad says, “We have an amazing team in place and we believe in our motto. Sales and acquisitions come naturally to us. Without our team members, both past and present, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Skytower is now and has been in the past, blessed with some of the hardest working, intelligent, and committed people on the planet. Words cannot express the amount of respect and gratitude I have for the people that walk through these doors every day,” he signs off.
