One of the foundational Twin Commander sales and service centers is on the ascendency after suffering a decline a decade ago. Byerly Aviation has new leadership and new energy, and is rebuilding its Twin Commander customer base.
Just under a year ago Bruce Byerly, a veteran Twin Commander sales executive and pilot, returned as an owner to the long-time Commander service center that bears his family name at KPIA, General Downing-Peoria International Airport in Peoria, Illinois.
He joined CEO Scott Welch, who acquired Byerly Aviation in 2010 from the Aviation Facilities Company. Each owns 50 percent of the business. Welch oversees day-to-day management of the FBO and service center while Byerly focuses on aircraft and maintenance sales.
Byerly Aviation was founded in the early 1930s by Byerly’s grandfather, R. Millard Byerly, at the old Mount Hawley Airport in Peoria. He moved the business to the Greater Peoria Airport (now KPIA) in the early 1950s, and in 1954 acquired his first Aero Commander. Bruce’s father and uncle took over the business in 1969. In 1977 Byerly Aviation was named the Midwestern Commander distributor, and an authorized service center. It was sold out of the family in 2005. Over the next few years the business suffered, aided by the economic recession in 2008.
Welch recalls how he became involved. “Over the course of the last 10 or 15 years I had made several visits to the Peoria International Airport for business in the Greater Peoria Area,” he says. “I was always impressed with the facilities and personnel at Byerly Aviation, but I never realized that beginning in 2010 I would be starting a new relationship with that company.
“A friend contacted me and asked me if I could help stabilize an aviation business that was in trouble as a result of the current financial climate. Originally hired on as a consultant to the creditors, I made several trips to Byerly Aviation during early 2010, being fully aware that the troubled economic environment of the time would forgive very little, especially further miscalculation.
“After all, the end of 2008 marked the beginning of the perfect storm for the aviation industry. Many corporations were downsizing or even eliminating the flight departments altogether, either for economic reasons or due to the negative public perception of corporate aircraft as the icon of conspicuous consumption. The aircraft sales market conditions were challenging the basic precepts of how corporate aircraft were bought, sold, and remarketed, and many lenders had either pulled out of the aviation industry totally or significantly tightened their requirements for aircraft financing. It quickly became obvious to me that with its financial and operational conditions deteriorating rapidly, Byerly Aviation’s ability to stay afloat was in serious question.
“Yet, every visit that I made to Peoria left me more and more confident that the company had the human capital necessary to emerge from the storm engulfing it and the aviation industry. As a 35-year veteran of the aviation industry, a 10,000-hour ATP with airframe and powerplant certification and inspection authorization, and a former 20-year instructor of aviation technology at a Penn State University campus, I was able to recognize that virtually every employee of Byerly Aviation had front-line battle-tested experience in the area of their expertise. My experience told me that combined with the right leader, the human resource pool at Byerly had the instincts necessary to survive in one of the world’s most competitive industries.
“By the summer of 2010 I had completed my recommendation to the creditors and written a reorganizational plan for the company. Shortly after submitting my recommendations to the creditors it was suggested that since I had such a positive outlook of the future of Byerly Aviation, perhaps I should consider purchasing the company. In July of 2010 I agreed to the terms of the purchase of the company, and in September the deal was closed with new refinancing on more favorable terms with considerable savings.”
Three years later, Bruce Byerly became an equal partner. “It was the right time and the right opportunity with the right people” to come back, Byerly said. “It has the staff, the knowledge base, and the experience to grow.” And, according to Byerly, it has. “If you look at our Commander business, we’ve easily doubled—more like 2.5 times more,” he said.
Bruce Byerly focuses on aircraft and maintenance sales at Byerly Aviation.
“We are pulling customers from all over country for major upgrades and events. The customer base is getting bigger every day.” It’s not just this country, however. Byerly bought an Ecuadorian-based Commander 840 that had been “sitting in limbo,” obtained an export license, and bought it back to the U.S. to refurbish and upgrade for a U.S. buyer. We are investing money in airplanes, and that is good for owners,” Byerly said.
Byerly also is active in buying and selling piston-powered Shrike Commanders. “I’ve been through four this year,” he said. “Byerly has a long history of piston ownership and maintenance. We love the airplane.”
Byerly also manages airplanes for owners, and maintains an active aircraft charter certificate. The company soon will be operating a Model 1000 and a Dash 10T-powered 900. One will be on the charter certificate, and the other will be a managed aircraft.
Byerly Aviation has full capability to maintain, inspect, repair, and upgrade all models of Twin Commanders. Byerly has performed many Dash 10T engine conversions and several Grand Renaissance conversions over the years.
Byerly Aviation provides avionics sales and installation for Twin Commanders.
Byerly is a full-service aviation business with traditional FBO services for based and transient aircraft, an avionics sales and installation shop, and a paint shop specializing in turboprops and light jets. Byerly also supports scheduled airlines at Peoria with ground services.
The management team at Byerly Aviation also includes General Manager. Tim McKune, Director of Maintenance Ryan Grenhoff, and Director of Operations Joe Hillman.
For more information see www.byerlyaviation.com or contact the company at 309-697-6300.
