Signature TECHNICAir (ST) at Bournemouth in the UK has been named as an authorised Garmin dealership. “We are really pleased that we can bring Signature TECHNICAir into our dealer network,” says aviation associate sales manager and UK sales lead for Garmin Ben Smith. “ST has proven itself to be of premium quality in installing our products, working on our behalf with partners and end customers to conduct installations and repair work on aircraft with our equipment.

“Garmin is going through some interesting developments at the moment. We have predominantly grown from the GA world and we are growing into the larger class aircraft. We are going to continue to support GA, but we are developing new business within the airlines and within business aviation as well, setting up a brand new manufacturing facility at our headquarters in Kansas. We are setting up new divisions to work alongside what we are doing with GA, and all of this is an opportunity for growth rather than a shift away from what we are already doing. Our products enable operators to quickly comply with the ADS-B mandate, and we have consistently been ranked as the best in the industry.”

Signature TECHNICAir's sales and customer support manager for EMEA John Hamshere adds: “This is a good opportunity to leverage the Signature and Garmin brands. It’s an exciting time. We have a large portfolio across Europe and the US and can now work together more closely. Our strategy is to branch into Europe, and with that comes Garmin.

“With ADS-B we are finding that Garmin is viewed as a cost-effective way of achieving the ADS-B mandate. On a Citation 550 for example, with an outdated cockpit, we can install a G3000 in the aircraft along with ADS-B and it provides the customer with a modern cockpit for many years. We have the STCs available and installations with Garmin equipment is easier, more cost effective, and modernises the aircraft for the future.

“GA has really moved on from where it was, and we are now seeing Garmin in up to 80 per cent of general aviation aircraft. It is how pilots learn to fly, and it makes it easier to get pilots flying when you have similarities from the smaller Garmin cockpits right up to the G5000. The same ecosystem is there. It’s seamless and easy to move between the different systems.

Smith adds that the process for Garmin to add a dealer is a stringent one: “The dealer becomes an extension of our business and a part of our family. We can help them chase opportunities and find success. All of our dealers have their unique speciality and they have access to the same portfolio as each other.

“This collaboration narrows down the gap across the pond and will allow us to better serve our customers, providing them with a more effective service,” he concludes.