About the owner
Tailwind Technologies, based in Piqua, is owned by businessman James W. Brown Jr. and two sons.
Tailwind’s holdings, along with Hartzell Propeller, also include Mayday Manufacturing Co. and a three-company, California-based entity known as Hartzell Aerospace. Collectively, Tailwind’s companies serve the general aviation, aerospace and industrial sectors.
PIQUA — Tailwind Technologies Inc.’s purchase of an engine accessories manufacturer to complement Hartzell Propeller Inc. could get a boost now that the piston-powered aircraft industry is starting to recover from a three-year slump.
Tailwind Technologies on Sept. 30 completed the purchase of what was then known as Kelly Aerospace Energy Systems LLC, of Montgomery, Ala., for an undisclosed sum. Tailwind, the Piqua-based parent of Hartzell Propeller, has renamed Kelly Aerospace as Hartzell Engine Technologies and structured it as a sister company to Hartzell Propeller.
It is part of a trend in the aviation industry that allows component suppliers to expand their business by offering a broader menu of parts and services to aircraft manufacturers, industry analyst Brian Foley said.
The piston-powered aircraft industry is showing signs of a modest recovery after a severe worldwide slump that saw deliveries of planes for general aviation fall by 65 percent from 2007. Industry billings for general aviation airplanes have increased for two consecutive quarters, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Hartzell Engine Technologies’ products include turbocharger systems, alternators, starters, fuel pumps, oil filters, engine harnesses, voltage regulators and cockpit cabin heaters.
That is a different, but complementary, market for Hartzell Propeller and gives the company more direct access to aircraft manufacturers who often work closely with engine and engine accessory suppliers, said Mike Disbrow, a Hartzell Propeller executive from Oakwood who is now also running Hartzell Engine Technologies.
There is room to grow in the engine accessories business, Disbrow said.
The acquisition also helps by broadening Tailwind’s business within the aviation industry, he said.
“It was a nice diversification for the company,” Disbrow said. “We like the market synergies.”
Disbrow and other personnel from Hartzell Propeller are traveling frequently to Hartzell Engine Technologies in Alabama to manage the acquisition.
Hartzell Propeller has 275 employees, while Hartzell Engine has 125 employees.
The privately owned companies do not publicly disclose their sales or other financial results.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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