Matthew Cox, Sales Manager – Trace Aviation
PAG COMPONENT SERVICES
“I came to the world of aviation thanks to the persistence of Trace Aviation’s Chief Inspector. Previously I had been a commercial sales manager for O’Reilly Auto Parts in Ashville, NC. Then I managed a corporate auto-truck salvage yard in Jackson, MS which closed during COVID. The inspector knew me from the yard, and that I was looking for a job. Trace was looking for a sales manager and he thought I would be a good match. I joined the team working for Mike Pigott and Meghan Brock.
“Trace Aviation was founded in 2004 with a mission to make landing gear maintenance and replacement easier for aircraft mechanics. Availability and ease of installation are our priorities, regardless of an aircraft’s situation. We provide technical support, attach hardware, switches, whatever they need to get the job done. I like to say, ‘from sale to install, to flying out the door,’ we are here for our customers.
“Trace is about what the customer needs, not how much money we can make. I work with customers from the mindset of “how much time and money can I save them?” Shaving even 3-4 hours off landing gear replacement is huge for the mechanic working on an aircraft.”
“Recently, a Border Patrol customer called needing an exchange unit. They had been using a shop in South Carolina for maintenance that could fulfill their request in 30 days ─ if they were in dire need. We shipped the order within a day.
“We’re always looking for ways to help operators save money with our King Air Landing Gear Exchange Program and in-house repair and overhaul capabilities. We had a customer in Florida who received a $160,000 repair estimate from another shop. He called me and honestly, I’ve never written a repair estimate for that much. Our quote was $88,000 less, a huge savings!
“Additionally, if a customer just needs a brace repaired, we can do that and send it back. We can also make repairs for other shops and send it back to the customer.
“Trace provides 29 specific repairs that other shops don’t offer, and we are constantly developing more. For example, if a brace’s lower bores are out of tolerance, we can repair them. In fact, for any expensive part that we see on even a semi-regular basis, we develop custom repair capabilities. I try to help customers understand how the lifecycle of landing gear can be extended with cost-effective repairs, or they can continue to replace expensive parts, or condemn them to scrap which we don’t want to see.
“As a PAG company, Trace Aviation can supply King Air operators with wheels and brakes, starter generators, avionics, components, and complete engine support, worldwide. Looking ahead, we will continue to develop and expand our in-house capabilities to support PAG customers.”
Contact Matthew: 1+601.936.3599 | matthew@traceaviation.com
─ PAG Insider
Trace Aviation Services Brief PDF
