Mich. Firm Plans Paulding Expansion

Aerodynamics Inc. (ADI), a full-service flight and maintenance repair firm headquartered in Waterford, MI, will be opening a metro Atlanta location this fall at the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport, according to a news release issued Thursday by the Paulding County Airport Authority, Paulding County Industrial Building Authority and Paulding County Economic Development Organization.

On Aug. 25, the company and subsidiary ADI Shuttle Group LLC were acquired by Scott Beale, owner of the Paulding Jet Center at Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport.

ADI’s specialties include corporate shuttles, charter services, aircraft management, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services. ADI’s headquarters will remain in Michigan at the Oakland County International Airport.

“The acquisition will allow ADI to better serve the needs of corporate and government clients by providing an expanded fleet and broader service area,” said Beale, who is the company’s new chairman and CEO.

Beale, who brings more than 20 years of experience in aviation operations to the ADI leadership team, said: “I admire ADI’s long history of providing the industry with diverse flight solutions while focusing on safety, quality, integrity and long-term relationships. Moving forward, ADI will remain dedicated to improving customer service and providing every client with a comfortable and safe flying experience.”

Beale has worked extensively with the Paulding County Airport Authority and the Paulding County Industrial Building Authority on construction of a 35,000-square-foot corporate hangar at the airport that will meet the expansion needs of ADI.

Plans call for ADI Atlanta to operate charter service from the airport this fall and open an MRO facility for turbine aircraft maintenance, avionics and interiors in early 2012.

Over the next three years, ADI Atlanta expects to employ more than 45 employees and 10 based aircraft to support its Southeast operations and by 2015 expects more than 1,000 annual operations from ADI Atlanta at the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport. The company will continue to fulfill contracts with a long list of clients including Fortune 100 corporations, professional sports teams, small and midsize corporations, and both high-profile and private individuals.

Airport Authority Director Blake Swafford says the Paulding Jet Center has established itself as a first-class operation at the airport and a true partner with the authority, committed to the airport’s goal of becoming the premier general aviation airport in the Southeast.

Chairman David Austin calls the expansion of ADI Atlanta to Paulding County a prime example of how Paulding County’s pro-business environment allows entrepreneurs like Beale to realize their business goals.

“Government can’t create jobs, but we can create an atmosphere that allows businesses to succeed. ADI Atlanta’s decision to establish operations in Paulding County demonstrates we are doing the right things needed to bring quality jobs and investments to our community,” Austin said.

Jamie Gilbert, the executive director of Paulding County Economic Development, said the addition of ADI Atlanta to Paulding signifies the first of what the county hopes to be several new aerospace and aviation companies locating to the community.

“We have the finest regional airport in Georgia, and ADI Atlanta’s move to Paulding demonstrates the attractiveness of our location for aviation operations,” Gilbert said. “With 190 acres available at the airport for development and an aggressive recruitment strategy, we have drawn strong interest from aircraft manufacturers and MRO’s. ADI Atlanta represents the first step in our efforts to fundamentally transform Paulding County’s economy.”