Photo: Alpine Aerotech
Written for Insight Magazine – Heli-Expo 2024
For more than three decades, Alpine Aerotech has been recognized as a ‘one-stop’ shop for high-quality helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.
At its base in Kelowna, British Columbia and its fully equipped facility in Abbotsford, B.C., Aerotech’s capabilities range from simple repairs and inspections to extensive aircraft upgrades and complete refurbishment.
As well, the company specializes in the design, certification and production of helicopter parts and accessories at a satellite manufacturing facility also located in Kelowna.
Aerotech is accredited as a service centre for Airbus and Leonardo helicopters and is one of the largest Bell service centres in the world.
“Our comprehensive capabilities are really due to our diverse workforce,” explained Jeff Denomme, Aerotech’s president.
“We have subject matter experts across many specialties who are all committed to providing best-in-class service to our customers. Aerotech’s growth has been contributed to by the successes of our experienced workforce, and the strong relationships they have developed with our loyal customers.”
One of those employees is Crystal Bruce, an aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) and avionics technician who started at Aerotech in 2013 after serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for eight years – including two tours in Afghanistan — maintaining the RCAF’s fleet of CH-146 Griffon helicopters.
While working on the Griffon — a militarized variant of the Bell 412 — Bruce recalled seeing components supplied by Aerotech, leading her to focus on joining the company as she transitioned to civilian life.
“They really care about who they bring in, so that we become a close-knit group,” said Bruce. “Morale is really high because there is a lot of care taken to support people. Like with me, [they said] ‘You’re interested in avionics? Go ahead, have a try!’”
Bruce was given the opportunity to add avionics to her skillset, and recently finished autopilot and electrical training on the 412 at Bell’s headquarters in Texas.
“I do systems installs for avionics [and] build wiring harnesses, and we do a lot of heavy-duty avionics upgrades, including our Garmin G500 STC,” she said.
As part of the group of 120 employees at Aerotech’s 64,000-square-foot (5,950 square-meter) HQ in Kelowna, Bruce and her colleagues can get the opportunity to work with the team of 30 at the company’s 30,000-sq-ft. [2,790 sq.-m.] facility in Abbotsford.
“We’re another resource for Aerotech, 320 kilometers [200 miles] to the west of Kelowna,” explained Steve Storteboom, general manager of the shop at YXX airport.
“We can support commercial operators with heavy maintenance and private operators with regular maintenance – there’s quite a bit of diversity in the types we service. Right now we’re working on a classic Bell 206B, a 407GXP and a 212, and we have customers with brand-new Bell 505s and 407GXi helicopters.”
Storteboom points to his support of his employees as a key part of the culture of Aerotech and is most proud of the client feedback he passes to the team.
During a follow-up after extensive work on a Bell 212, Storteboom asked the client, “‘How’s the aircraft running?’ He just said, ‘It’s the best one in the fleet,’ and booked his next aircraft in for service.”
Aerotech’s central planning department ensures that the company operates as one business, seamlessly integrating the Kelowna and Abbotsford facilities, its manufacturing division, and all the different departments within the organization.
“Our planning department is the link between the customer and ‘everything Aerotech,’ so our customer has a single point-of-contact. That gets rid of the common problem of getting lost in the shuffle,” Denomme explained. “We report directly from the floor to the customer with 100% visibility on every project, so there are no surprises at the end.”
Storteboom added: “When I get a call from a customer, I coordinate with the planning department, to determine whether Kelowna or Abbotsford is the best fit for the scope of work, and if we need to shift extra manpower between the locations.”
Brad Brossart, a veteran of the B.C. helicopter industry for 21 years, leads Aerotech’s planning department with its many critical functions. Brossart holds an AME license and his background provides him with the essential skills that he utilizes every day.
“We are the central point of contact” explained Brossart. “From initial inquiry, the planning team helps determine the scope of work [and] a cost quote, and directs the work through the various departments and project phases. We provide progress updates to our customers and ensure all expectations are met.”
“Customer feedback speaks for itself,” Denomme stated. “We have a very personable, honest approach, and we believe that’s why our customers return year after year. Our people are our biggest asset. It’s crucial to allow employees to have the opportunity to do things differently. We all have different backgrounds, and the biggest thing is listening to your employees and making changes for the better.”
Denomme’s passion for aviation is key to his management philosophy, ensuring that the teams in Kelowna and Abbotsford have his full support.
“We have a bright future ahead of us — we have some exciting projects and opportunities on the horizon that will enhance Aerotech’s industry leading reputation.”