Mesa, AZ – With phenomenal growth in less than two years of operation, Able Engineering Services is running out of space at its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. As a result, the company is proposing a 50,000 square foot expansion of its current campus to accommodate overall business growth and to enlarge the apron, aircraft hangar and machine shop areas.
“Able Engineering is a major success story in Mesa and the potential for the business to grow is amazing,” Mesa Mayor and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority Board Member John Giles said. “I am confident we will see Able continue to expand and create hundreds of new jobs.”
Under its original 2012 agreement, Able was required to have at least 250 employees upon opening in 2013. The company exceeded that requirement, totaling nearly 300 workers when it opened in Mesa in 2013, and expanding to approximately 450 employees since that time. Able anticipates needing to hire an additional 100 employees in 2015 to meet its growth demands. It is the goal of the City of Mesa, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority and Able to use the same award-winning public-private partnership as the original project to construct the expansion.
“The public-private partnership we forged for our existing business allowed us to invest more cash into Able. Because of this, we’ve been able to grow faster while still maintaining the highest quality standards and bringing new jobs to the community — at least 200 employees more than we originally agreed to by this time,” Able CEO and President Lee Benson said. “It is a win for the airport, the City of Mesa, our employees, our company and our customers.”
The Able expansion project is expected to be considered by Mesa City Council and the Airport Authority by early summer. The expansion is expected to be completed in 2016, making Able the largest private employer in the Gateway area.
Able’s campus currently totals 191,000 square feet and is the largest facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
Founded in 1982, Able is an international business and $70 million aerospace enterprise that is currently performing more than 8,000 proprietary FAA approved repairs on aircraft.
