Construction is well underway on a new 79,000-square-foot hangar at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, a project that will allow International Aerospace Coatings (IAC) to expand its aircraft painting operation and hire more employees.
IAC is one of the world's leading aircraft painting companies, with 10 locations across the United States and Europe. Company leaders say Amarillo has proven to be the right place to grow.
"We're smack in the middle of the U.S., so it's easy for the airlines to get to us," said IAC Office Manager Diane Mendez. "We have access to one of the largest runways in the U.S. So, all of those things, and I think just cranking out success, great planes, great customer satisfaction."
For most people, repainting an airplane sounds like a straightforward job. In reality, it's a process that starts months before the aircraft ever arrives in Amarillo.
According to Mendez, airlines schedule aircraft to be taken out of service nearly a year in advance, giving IAC time to prepare everything from materials to staffing.
"They have to make the plans to take it out of their booking system, book the time with us, with the people that are doing the master schedules and whatnot," Mendez said. "We'll get to see when it's coming. We start ordering the things that are needed to paint, the sandpaper."
Once the plane arrives, the work begins almost immediately.
"It's a lot of preparation. So that when that plane arrives, we are ready to go. The team has got all their PPE. They're ready to go," Mendez said. "I would say big planes like 787s would take us anywhere from 9 to 12 days to complete because we work 24-7, day shift, hands it off to night shift. Unless there's a special project and it needs extra detail, it's about 9 to 12 days."
Smaller aircraft usually take between seven and 10 days to complete.
The new hangar, expected to open in September, also means the company needs more people.
IAC is hiring for entry-level painting positions as well as experienced master trainers. New employees can move through the company's painter progression program, which combines hands-on training with pay increases as workers develop new skills.
"We have four quadrants," Mendez explained. "And within those four quadrants, the first two are preppers. And then it's a painter's apprentice. And then it's a master painter. But within those quadrants are micro quadrants that you need to master to continue to move forward. And with each quadrant that you pass, you get an increase in your wage."
Mendez said one thing she's especially proud of is the culture at the Amarillo facility, where employees from many different backgrounds work together and help newcomers adjust.
"I think that the string that binds us all is that they're immigrants and they know how hard it is to get a start and get your feet under you at a new job," Mendez said. "I think they're very sympathetic to new employees that come in. We also do a buddy system. So, we buddy up the new employees with someone out there that we feel, whether it's their language, their community, their ethnicity, we want to set them up for success right away."
The company is also investing outside the hangar doors.
Mendez said IAC has built a strong partnership with Amarillo College, including the Donnie Hammer Memorial Scholarship Fund, which pays for a full ride through the college's A&P Mechanic Program.
"We are very entrenched with Amarillo College," Mendez shared. "We do a lot of great work with them. They're a great partner of ours. And so, with Amarillo College, we've established a scholarship fund, the Donnie Hammer Memorial Scholarship Fund for A&P Mechanics. And we pay for a full ride for the A&P Mechanic Program with hopes that someone coming out of there will come and work here for us. It's working out great."
Anyone interested in joining the company won't have to wait long. Mendez said IAC plans to hold a job fair every month until the new hangar opens in September. The events will include on-the-spot interviews and tours of the facility at 10801 Baker St.
