Western Skyways takes off: Montrose business rebuilds aircraft engines.

• Author: Harbour, Mike
• Position: Attitude at altitude

Despite the resurgence of commercial air travel, general aviation continues to grow at an incredible rate. That's good news for Western Skyways, a busy piston aircraft engine rebuilder in Montrose that recently began servicing the turbine engines used in thousands of business aircraft.

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Aircraft manufacturers, based on figures from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, shipped more than 4,000 general aviation--that is, noncommercial and nonmilitary--planes last year, almost 13 percent more than 2005. Industry billings rose 24 percent in 2006 to $18.8 billion, an all-time high. GAMA reported the industry will continue to expand at a rapid pace in 2007.

Tiny Montrose, with a population of about 13,000, might seem an unlikely place to profit from such a growth industry, especially since Grand Junction is considered the hub of the Western Slope. Montrose is often viewed as a vacation, not a business, destination. Yet the unassuming Uncompahgre Valley town suits Western Skyways just fine, according to co-owner David Leis.

"We do 40 to 50 engines a month now, and it doesn't matter where we're located," said Leis, a Brush native and vice president of sales. "We do engines that are in South America, that are in Australia, that are in Europe ... we could be located anywhere. It's nice that we're located in Colorado."

Formed when Leis and two former partners left West Star Aviation in Grand Junction in 1994, Western Skyways was pursued by airports in Texas, Oregon and Nebraska. Yet nothing could drag Leis and company president Al Head away from Montrose.

"I like the climate here; I was happy with the people we were getting," said Head, who previously owned an aircraft salvage company and moved from California to help fund the business. "Relocation is not easily done."

Airport managers treasure businesses such as Western Skyways. Many of its customers fly into the modern facility, which occupies almost 130,000 square feet of space. That means revenues from fuel, food and beverages, lodging and more. It also means bragging rights, as the 80-employee company--whose customers range from private owners to fleet operators--enjoys a reputation quite unlike any other rebuilder in the business.

"As far as the piston side ... there's probably only one or two other shops that are even up to the volume that we do in the world," Leis said. "Most of these piston shops do 10 engines a month."

That's about the volume Western Skyways...