Leading Edge Aviation Services

Leading Edge Aviation Services (now renamed International Aerospace Coatings) is an FAA-certified Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (“MRO”) company based in Costa Mesa, CA.[1] Leading Edge has painted aircraft for airlines such as United, Continental, Delta, Northwest, Air Canada, Virgin America, US Airways, UPS, and The Blue Angels, as well as for the 1997 movie Air Force One.[2] The company is the largest independent painter of commercial and military aircraft with the annual revenue of $150 million in the United States, with facilities in California, Mississippi, Texas, Florida and South Carolina.[3]

Leading Edge Aviation Services, Inc.
TypePrivate
IndustryAviation Services
Founded1989
HeadquartersCosta Mesa, California, USA
Key people
  • Mike Manclark
  • Chairman and Founder
  • Chris Harano
  • President &
    Chief Executive Officer
  • Dave Patterson
  • Executive Vice President,
    Sales and Marketing
  • Rod Friese
  • Chief Operating Officer
  • Dan Zeddy
  • Chief Financial Officer
Websiteleadingedgecorp.com

History

Leading Edge was founded by Mike Manclark in 1989 as an aircraft detailing business based in John Wayne International Airport in Orange County, California.[4] The company expanded through the 1990s, with Manclark becoming a private jet detailer for celebrities such as Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra. After a contract with McDonnell Douglas for a KC110 heavy-check maintenance clean, the company began to work on large aircraft, first stripping paint for maintenance purposes, then contracting paint jobs. The company's first high-profile job was to design United Airlines' new brand image, to be released at the Super Bowl.[5] The company gained contracts with major airlines such as Delta and Continental, as well as for special projects such as the Arizona Diamondbacks-themed Boeing 757 for America West Airlines,[6] historical restorations, and Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign plane.[7]

Other notable milestones:

In 2008, The company repainted a World War II era Douglas A-26 Invader, now on display at the Orange County John Wayne Airport.[8]

In 2009, restored a Blue Angels McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, now on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.[9]

In 2010, was contracted to repaint 631 planes in the United and Continental Airlines merger, expanding the company's Amarillo, Texas location.[10]

In 2012, received AS9100 certification.[11] The same year, the company painted the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, for Air India, and were contracted to paint all 787s built in Charleston, SC.[12]

Vance Street Capital LLC made a private equity investment in Leading Edge in 2012.[13]

Leading Edge began repainting American Airlines' fleet of aircraft when the company changed its "AA" logo to a stylized American flag in 2013.[14]

In 2016, Leading Edge, Associated Painter, and Eirtech Aviation merged into 1 brand - International Aerospace Coatings, Inc. (IAC).

Awards

Orange County Business Journal's 2012 Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award (Mike Manclark) [15]

Aviation Week and Overhaul & Maintenance 2012 MRO of the Year Award for Innovative Service Supplier [16]

References
  1. Business Week: Leading Edge Aviation
  2. Aviation Today, April 1, 2009: "Can Victorville Become a Maintenance and Mod Mecca?"
  3. Orange County Business Journal, Apr 11, 2012: "Costa Mesa Aircraft Painter Gets Private Equity Investment"
  4. Business Week: Leading Edge Aviation
  5. "American Executive, July 2010: "Leading Edge Aviation Services: Always Say Yes"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-07. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  6. "Leading Edge: History". Archived from the original on 2013-08-16. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
  7. "Leading Edge Rolls out Presidential Treatment with Mitt Romney Campaign Plane"
  8. High Desert Daily Press, Jul 23, 2008: "WWII bomber gets a facelift at SCLA" Archived 2013-04-11 at the Wayback Machine
  9. AviationPros.com, Jul 13, 2009: "Leading Edge and Boeing Bring 'Blue Angel' to San Diego Air & Space Museum"
  10. "ABC News Amarillo, Nov 11, 2010: "1st Boeing SC Dreamliner flies to Texas to be painted"". Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  11. "Leading Edge to Receive AS9100 Certification"
  12. The Post and Courier, May 30, 2012: "1st Boeing SC Dreamliner flies to Texas to be painted"
  13. Orange County Business Journal, Apr 11, 2012: "Costa Mesa Aircraft Painter Gets Private Equity Investment"
  14. Star-Telegram Jan 18, 2013: "American Airlines shows off new look for new era"
  15. Orange County Business Journal Apr 2, 2012: "Clear for Take Off"
  16. Aviation Week Announces MRO of the Year Awards
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