Ken Kaminski has one of the coolest jobs in the entire region, and it's the kind of job that flies largely under the radar but cumulatively with others has a significant impact across Michigan. Kaminski is the founder and owner/operator of Flying Colors Aviation, one of several companies that are actually headquartered at Southwest Michigan Regional Airport in Benton Harbor and act as anchors to the general aviation industry in the Great Lakes State.
Kaminski's Flying Aviation is a consistently growing enterprise at the local airport responsible for a broad array of clientele who call on his unique expertise and first-class quality work in refinishing or custom painting of aircraft all the way up to those with wingspans up to 60-feet.
Established in 1996 and incorporated two years later, Flying Colors Aviation boasts 18 years of specialty work in painting all sorts of aircraft from refinishing work on vintage war planes to custom work on corporate jets. The team's expertise makes them more than capable of repainting boats, trucks, cars, trailers and anything else that a standard-sized paint shop might not be able to accommodate.
Eight years ago Ken outgrew the leased hangar he had installed a paint booth in and built a brand new, state-of-the-art painting hangar right on the airport property, allowing customers to taxi their aircraft from a nearby runway directly to the paint hangar where they get magnificent attention to detail from Kaminski and his crew.
Flying Colors Aviation is a prime example of the general aviation community's impact on Michigan cited Friday by U.S. Senator Gary Peters who joined the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and industry leaders at a rally celebrating the industry's economic impact on Michigan.
Leaders from Avfuel Corporation, Duncan Aviation, L-3 Communications, and Williams International made remarks at the rally held at Duncan Aviation's Battle Creek facility. It was the organization's 15th rally celebrating general aviation's economic contributions in the U.S. since 2009.
Senator Peters told the rally crowd, "General aviation supports thousands of Michigan jobs, attracts economic investment, and impacts the lives of millions of Americans every day." He added, "An expanding aviation industry in Michigan brings an opportunity to build a skilled workforce that can compete with aviation manufacturers across the world, and with hardworking Michiganders at the helm, the future of general aviation will continue to be bright."
Aaron Hilkemann is President & CEO of Duncan Aviation. He says, "Our impact goes much further than the jobs we directly support. Our aviation business also supports a lot of good jobs in our communities. Because most of our customers come from a great distance, they often stay in local hotels, rent cars, eat in our local restaurants and spend money in our stores."
The same can be said for Flying Colors customers who bring planes for paint work from all over the nation.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association President & CEO Pete Bunce tells us, "General aviation in Michigan is wonderfully diverse, from maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities to avionics and engine manufacturers as well as their suppliers." He concluded, "Our rally today was a fantastic way to join with hundreds of general aviation employees, students, and other aviation enthusiasts to celebrate how general aviation is lifting Michigan."
Even Avfuel Corporation President & CEO Craig Sincock points out, "At Avfuel we like to say we're not in the business of simply selling fuel and services; we're in the business of connecting people, companies, cultures and governments from around the world."
Even Kaminski's Flying Colors Aviation isn't the only business based at Southwest Michigan Regional Airport. You'll also find Higher Power Hydraulic Door company owned by Roland & Linnea Betker on the airport property. They make one of the fastest opening aircraft hangar doors anywhere on the globe and have installed their products nationwide as well as in exotic locals like the Bahamas, Kuwait, Qatar and Africa.
Southwest Michigan Regional Airport is a general aviation facility that added $30-million to the local economy in 2014 alone, and creates more than 150 jobs in indirect employment both on the airfield and off plus more than 80 support function jobs at the airport for companies like those belonging to Kaminski and Betker. General aviation is definitely important to Michigan's economy.
In the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com, an aircraft is in the process of being repainted by Flying Colors Aviation at SWM Regional Airport.
