Dan George, MPW’s Director of Aviation, officially retired January 31. George worked for MPW for nearly 17 years.
George said he will still work on special projects for MPW on a part-time basis, such as the development of MPW’s future hangar complex at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, as well as consulting regarding the retirements, acquisitions and/or upgrades of aircraft.
MPW Owner & CEO Monte Black said MPW’s aviation capabilities, which date to its first helicopter in 1980, have been critical to the company’s growth and George has played a key role in that.
“Dan has done a great job building our aviation team,” Black said. “He’s been tremendous at making sure we can get wherever we need to go quickly and safely. He’ll be missed here, but we’re glad he’s staying on as a consultant.”
George said he’s proud that MPW executives and other passengers have shown confidence in the safety of MPW’s aircraft and pilots.
“Proper maintenance has always been the highest priority here,” George said. “It reflects MPW’s focus on safety and it is part of our culture. The importance of upkeep can’t be overstated and unfortunately it’s not the norm outside of MPW.”
George said his favorite part about working for MPW was witnessing the company’s investments in technology.
“Since I started here, I think MPW has tripled in terms of numbers of employees and equipment,” George said. “The company has made significant strides in automated equipment to stay ahead of its competition and that’s been fun to watch.”
George said he will miss his MPW co-workers.
“I came here 17 years ago thinking I would be here about five years and then move on with my career,” he said. “The personal relationships I developed here helped me to stay. [Maintenance Director] Curt Ruff, [Paint & Body Maintenance Managers] Tim Swingle and [Fabrication Maintenance Manager] Rod Nieser all provided great support and made it a pleasure to operate. I was also able to grow professionally because of mentoring from Monte and [Executive VP of Sales & Marketing] Jim Neville. This was my first management position, so I had to grow into that role.”
George said his retirement plans include focusing more on Christian missionary work with his wife.