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Phoenix Heliparts plans expansion in Mesa
Falcon Field continues to see commercial growth
Publication: East Valley Business; Date: February 18, 2008
By Tony Natale
A relatively new helicopter repair and service company at Falcon Field in Mesa is growing in numbers and size.
The expansion is adding another significant step toward attracting commercial development at the 600-acre, cityowned airfield.
Phoenix Heliparts moved into a 14,000-square-foot work area on the south side of the airport four months ago with a dozen employees and space enough to hold 10 helicopters.
But the company, which now has 30 employees, is preparing to break ground in 2009 on a 100, 000-square-foot combination hangar, warehouse and office facility on five acres on the north side of the airport at a cost of between $4 million and $5 million.
It also plans to expand its staff to 85 and service as many as 25 helicopters at a time.
Later this month, the company, co-owned by David Langenhuizen, will begin repairing twin-engine helicopters in addition to single-engine aircraft, a move that was approved recently by the Federal Aviation Administration.
“We need the extra space,” said Langenhuizen, president. “The helicopter industry is growing all over the country, including Arizona.”
Phoenix Heliparts is among 200 helicopter repair stations in Arizona and more than 5,000 internationally, he said.
His company repairs products made by MD Helicopters of Mesa, a firm formerly owned by McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co.
Eighty percent of Phoenix Heliparts was purchased recently by Heli-Mart, a California firm.
The purchase provided the funds and spurred the initial growth as well as helped open the door for the planned future expansion, Langenhuizen said.
Phoenix Heliparts’ expansion is another example of commercial growth at the former military airport bordered by McDowell, Higley, McKellips and Greenfield roads.
Less than three years ago, the airport began a concerted effort to land commercial business to meet a demand for aviation needs in the East Valley.
Last year, for example, four new training facilities for aspiring pilots opened, bringing the total flight training centers to seven at the airport.
Falcon features two runways, nearly 50 aviation-related companies and more than 400 hangars primarily rented to companies.
“We’re really excited for Phoenix Heliparts, but we’re also happy for the expansion of other, older companies at the airport,” said Corinne Nystrom, director of Falcon Field. “Because of our location and the increase in operations, the other firms are also growing.”
Nystrom said more than 1.4 million square feet of land and more than 53,000 square feet of existing hangar space has been leased to fill the demands prompted by growth since 2005.
FLYING FIRM: Leroy Knutson, a structural mechanic with Phoenix Heliparts, works on a MD 500D in a hangar at Falcon Field. The company plans to break ground on an expansion in 2009. TIM HACKER, TRIBUNE
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