One of the biggest Aeronautic success stories this year has been the performance of Lockheed Martin’s Commercial Engine Solutions (LMCES) facility in Montreal, Canada. After opening three years ago with a handful of employees and an empty production floor, in 2016, the business secured two exclusive contracts with Air Wisconsin andFrontier Airlines, grown their workforce by more than 122 percent, and continue to remain focused on offering cutting edge, value-driven solutions to their customers. In short, LMCES’ accession into the commercial engine market is generating big buzz amongst the workforce and in the industry, and securing major wins for the facility.

Main photo above: Vice President of Commercial Engine Solutions Bill Brotherton speaks to employees on September 12, 2016.

Photo above: Aero technicians Million Workneh and Catrie Aubay-Barreay pose for a photo inside the Commercial Engines Solutions facility.

The Commercial Engine Solutions line of business is recognized as a Center of Excellence for providing sustainment services, specifically aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul. The Montreal complex focuses on servicing commercial airlines and operators of CF6-50/-80, CFM56 -2/-3/-5/-7 and CF34 engines. A second location, in San Antonio, Texas, is primarily engaged in providing CES services to the U.S. military and international governments.

In recognition of Montreal’s rapid growth and success, the leadership team recently held an employee celebration to honor and thank their employees. The main message delivered at the event: we’re growing, we’re investing in Montreal, and we’re committed to bringing in new customers and business.

Photo above: CES Montreal General Manager Jim Andrews highlights the facility’s accomplishments and success.

“After completing MRO work on 24 engines in our opening year, we’re now closing in on 80 in 2016 alone. This is a remarkable success and a clear recognition of our team’s talent and dedication,” said Jim Andrews, General Manager for the CES Montreal site.

To truly understand the significance of this turnaround, you have to know Montreal’s history.

In early 2013, Lockheed Martin Canada acquired engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) assets – including the Montreal complex – from Aveos Fleet Performance. Aveos was a Canadian MRO company that filed for bankruptcy in 2012, resulting in the layoff of hundreds of local workers and leaving a significant void in the Montreal aerospace market. At the time of Lockheed Martin’s acquisition, then-Aeronautics Executive Vice President Larry Lawson remarked, “We will immediately realize the benefit of this acquisition because we plan to hire a number of the highly skilled former Aveos employees to support our MRO operations in Montreal.” Lawson was right. After an initial hiring of seven employees, today’s workforce exceeds 200 talented technicians, quality control, and support staff – all focused on supporting the customer.

In fact, current LMCES customers have cited Montreal’s exceptional customer service, technical expertise and value-driven customized solutions as key drivers in their decision to award exclusive, multi-year contracts to Lockheed Martin. The reputation Montreal is building has also contributed to Lockheed Martin’s ability to generate new interest and business leads for LMCES.

“We are truly building something special here in Montreal,” said Bill Brotherton, Vice President of LMCES. “The investments we’ve made, coupled with the culture we’ve created of a fully engaged workforce is helping us establish deeper relationships with our customers and greater performance from our team,” added Brotherton.  “Our entire workforce is a key member of our Business Development team, and their success with existing customers is creating confidence in our abilities in the marketplace, and opening new doors to continue to grow the business.”

Employees such as Reg Emberly, a Senior Quality Analyst, are excited to see the business grow. Reg not only has been working at LMCES since its inception, he’s been reporting to work at the former Aveos building for 28 years and has experienced several acquisitions during his time.

“Lockheed Martin brought a lot of knowledge and experience to Montreal that has greatly benefited the employees and our customers,” said Reg. “In particular, our core values of doing what’s right, respecting others and performing with excellence has been an important part of our success.”

Like many employees, Reg is looking forward to being a part of LMCES’ future success for many years to come. But there’s one particular date he’s looking forward to – December 02, 2038.

Photo above: Aero technicians Eric Fortin-Savard and Kevin Latraverse inspect an engine.

At the initial opening of LMCES Montreal, Reg and the entire team built a time capsule to put their thoughts and mementos into. In 2038, that capsule will be opened for the first time and will present an opportunity to reflect on the incredible journey and positive memories employees have forged. If the last three years are any indication, 2038 will be the biggest year yet for LMCES.