Jet Works Air Center began life as Denton Business Air Center in 2004, when president Trey Bryson left DeCrane and joined with four associates to launch his own MRO. The company started with four employees, two of whom were principal partners, and moved into a 12,000-sq-ft paint facility and an 11,000-sq-ft general maintenance hangar.

The facility specialized in paint and interior refurbishment until 2007, when
it acquired Jet Works Aviation–also located on the airport–which focused on maintenance and avionics. “We had complementary services, and the acquisition of the FAR Part 145 operation enabled us to be a full-service MRO,” Bryson told AIN. The acquisition included a 29,000-sq-ft hangar/office complex and brought the new Jet Works Air Center to about 120 employees.

According to Bryson, the acquisition allowed the new company to expand its service offerings. “Jet Works Aviation had focused on small- to medium-cabin aircraft, a market we continue to serve, but we have expanded our maintenance and avionics operations to include large-cabin business aircraft such as the Challenger and Gulfstream lines,” he said.

The company also added a 63,000-sq-ft completion and maintenance hangar large enough to accommodate a single-aisle airliner. The company recently completed its first Boeing 727 interior upgrade to executive configuration.

Jet Works Air Center currently has 155 employees, including about 115 technicians who are experts in their various disciplines, and 34 A&P mechanics. The company’s FAR 145 repair station certificate lists light, medium and heavy turbine aircraft, including certification in Gulfstream, Challenger, Learjet, Hawker, Citation, Beechjet, Mitsubishi, King Air, Pilatus and Piaggio. It is the sole North American completion center for Piaggio and an authorized service center for both Piaggio and Pilatus.

The MRO’s FCC-licensed technicians, installers and on-site design engineers provide factory-authorized installation services and repair for all major avionics manufacturers on most airframes. All types of communications equipment, in-flight entertainment and glass cockpit installation are available. The company has also developed STCs for multifunction systems including the Collins Pro Line 21. Expertise includes RVSM, TAWS, TCAS, IHAS and ELT installation and upgrade modifications on a variety of aircraft.

Jet Works Air Center works with major manufacturers to provide expertise on a wide range of avionics equipment upgrades and options, and the company has relationships with Aircell, Cobham, EVAS, Garmin, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, TrueNorth Avionics and Universal Avionics.

The environmentally sealed paint hangar is humidity and temperature controlled and can accommodate aircraft up to the Gulfstream IV-SP. The paint shop offers custom design layout, stripping and final detailing. As the exclusive North American Piaggio Avanti completion center, Jet Works Air Center has painted many of the turboprop pushers as well as Challengers, Citations, Learjets, Falcons, Gulfstreams, Hawker Beechcraft and Pilatuses.

But the company’s roots are deep in interiors, refurbishment and completions. It routinely does interior work ranging from simple carpet changes to complete cabin reconfigurations. Interior services include upholstery, veneer and laminate replacement, multiple finish options, accent and trim, plating, window treatments, lavatory and galley fixtures and inserts.

“We continue to methodically expand the company and focus on our core business. With the recent hangar completion we can now work on aircraft up to [the size of] the Boeing 757,” Bryson said. “Things are proceeding nicely and once the economy recovers we’ll be keeping our eyes open for additional, underserved locations for expansion.”