Stevens Expands Paint Shop

When the folks at Stevens Aviation say they've expanded their ability to paint corporate aircraft, they're not kidding around. The company recently expanded the size of the doors on its two dedicated paint buildings to 68.5 feet wide by 25 feet tall, large enough to accommodate corporate jets up to the size of the Canadair Challenger 600 series and Embraer Legacy.

"We saw a growing demand from our customers for paintwork on these larger business jets," explained Hiott Daves, Stevens's director of maintenance. "Now we can utilize the whole width of the paint and stripping bays." Today Stevens paint customers come from all over the east coast, and they're even seeing more travel to the company's Greenville, South Carolina location from out west.

Daves said that larger doors aren't the only improvements the company made. They also brightened it up with 1,000-watt recessed lights and added a number of safety features including rotating warning lights and horns. The facility also has computerized temperature and humidity controls so the environment is consistent no matter what time of year the aircraft is being painted.

Great equipment and facilities don't always guarantee a great paint job. For that you need something that can't be improved on by technology: experience and talent. These are two assets the company seems to have a wealth of. "We have around 300 years of combined paint experience here," he added.

Leading the company's paint efforts is Chuck Yon. With more than 43 years' experience, he has painted everything from Piper Tri-Pacers to� Boeing 747s. "What sets us apart is that we pay real close attention to details," Yon said. "Then we use the latest in technology. We've switched to an electrostatic painting system that uses less paint and arrives at, what my customers say, is a shinier paint finish."

Yon also explained that Stevens follows a unique procedure for applying the paint. "Our goal is to reduce or eliminate the erosion of paint," he said. "We prime and paint the same day." Yon said that after thorough inspections for corrosion, damage, and cracking, the paint crew applies a non-sanding corrosion-resistant base. Then after just two and a half hours they spray the first of three white coats, pausing an hour between each one.

"The advantage is that we don't come back and sand the primer," Yon said. "That not only eliminates dust contamination, it also means there's no chance of sanding right through the primer we worked so hard to apply correctly."

Another interesting part of Stevens's paint process is having a dedicated inspector checking each step. "The inspector carefully checks the finish before and after the base coat is put on," he added. "It's inspected again after the finish coat and after the striping. Then one last time during the final detailing process before customer delivery."

"When you have good facilities, great prep work, the best equipment, and people who really know what they are doing, you are going to get a great paint job," Daves said. "The difference is the people. We have people who are really dedicated and proud of what they do." And obviously it shows.