David Tidwell, President of Transformation Aviation Services (TAS), stated his company has a two-fold purpose: to transform aircraft and change lives, which he states is possible only with God. Tidwell also trains employees who may not have an extensive aviation background, but are teachable and willing to learn the trade properly and correctly.
Tidwell’s presentation to the BOCC on 07/12/16 included before and after pictures of the company headquarters’ interior improvements, designed as a welcoming space for clients where they can see miniature aircraft models from the Wright brothers to the present day. An open space was converted to a private office where clients can select materials (carpet, leather, and plating). Security measures have also been increased, providing safety for clients and the airport itself.
Tidwell’s clients are both nationwide and international. A longstanding international client has already contacted Tidwell with letters of intent (LOI) for several projects beginning in August 2016. Project lengths vary depending on the needs of the client, from 20 hours a month for storage and routine maintenance to 1,500 hours for refurbishing the interior of the aircraft. Tidwell stated upcoming projects are estimated to be above 10,000 hours of labor. In his experience, some projects can take between three months to more than two years to complete.
Tidwell tracks every aspect of the work for each aircraft from the moment the inventory arrives to each task required to complete a project. Each employee documents the work completed, according to the project for each client, with a unique project number.
In 2015, the County waived the $377,000 leasing fee, provided he could prove he hired 125 employees within three years. Valerie Pianta, with the office of business development, confirmed that TAS is in compliance with the County by having 80% of the number of employees (or, 9 out of 12) he was required to hire the first year. Tidwell will provide documentation of the salaries for the employees to the County.