President, EMEA and South America
Dynatech International
Dynatech International LLC is a premier global supply chain management company supporting military and commercial operators and MROs with new OEM parts, reliable repair management and customized logistics services for the sustainment of legacy aircraft and engines.
The US-based company is focused on continuing to build relationships with new and existing customers, exceeding their expectations with tailored programs which meet their needs while delivering high-quality service, superior reliability and availability, and competitiveness.
Dr. Ahmed Metwalli, President, EMEA and South America of Dynatech International, in this interview to ARABIAN DEFENCE, talks about the company’s journey since 1972, its presence around the globe, participation in the upcoming World Defense Show (WDS 2022) in Saudi Arabia and other major initiatives.
Dynatech has been a premier global supply chain management partner, supporting military and commercial operators and MROs. Could you talk about the company’s success journey and major achievements?
We are celebrating our 50th anniversary in the Aerospace and Defense Aftermarket business this year. The company was established in 1972 and has been in operation since then. It began as a small company in Long Island, New York, focusing on supporting military engines. Later, the company continued to grow and diversify. In 2011, it was acquired by new owners, along with another company in Florida, and the new owners combined the two. Today, most of our operations are conducted in Fort Lauderdale, Florida facility. We still have a facility in New York, where we have a sales and customer support team.
We focus on the sustainment of the legacy fleets – airframe and powerplant – of a large number of Air Forces worldwide. We also support the MROs who perform the repair and overhaul of these fleets. We are very good at offering tailored material management solutions to meet specific customer requirements. We work with our customers to develop their fleet sustainment programs. We don’t tell them, “Here is what you need”; we offer cost competitive solutions to improve fleet operational readiness rate.
We have a very long and successful track record in contractual provisioning of spares and repairs. In this context, “contractual” is an operative word for us because the aftermarket industry has evolved and changed in the past decade.
In the last few years, we have been very successful in transitioning from the transactional procurement support method to the strategic partner acquisition process. This required a culture shift in the way we do business where the focus is on relationships, on contractual terms, on performance metrics, competitiveness, delivery time, and quality requirements, instead of the traditional ad-hoc support model. This model demands that you invest in the program because you have “skin in the game”. We believe that this is a good development in our industry; it requires a paradigm shift by the customer and the supplier in managing the business.
The transition from the ad-hoc to contractual method means more than just a flow of goods and services from supplier to the customer. It requires strong program management, significant investment in resources, teaming relationships, and mutual commitment. Many customers are adopting the strategic partner acquisition process instead of the transactional procurement process to reduce and eliminate inefficiencies and unproductive activities. Additionally, the strategic partner model reduces the procurement cost for the customer and increases workforce productivity.
Dynatech has long relationships with international military operators and MROs, focusing on military aircraft and engines, particularly F100, T56, C-130, and F-16. Could you talk about the support you provide in Defence sector?
As I mentioned earlier, w focus on the sustainment of a handful of widely used legacy military aircraft and engines; we call these “our focus platforms”. We offer our customers integrated, value-added supply chain products and services through four lines of business (LOBs): Parts Provisioning, OEM Distribution, Repair Management, and Logistic Services.
All of our long-term programs are with end users directly: MROs and fleet operators – both military and commercial. Most of our fleet management programs, whether for the support of the F100, T56, PT6, and J85 or the C-130, F-16, F-5, UH-60 or Beechcraft, require the provisioning of spares, repairs and overhauls, and various levels of technical support and logistic services. In many of these programs, and to ensure customer requirements are fully met, we team with “best-in-class” companies who have special expertise to provide our customers with the most competitive, responsive and dependable solutions. Often, we team with the OEMs where we have strong presence and long-term relationship with the customer.
How strong and diverse are the operations of the company’s MRO division? Who all are the major customers?
You might ask me why would a customer come to us instead of going to a repair station directly? Most independent repair stations (other than the OEMs) who focus on the repair of accessories are relatively small MROs. Some may not have the resources and capabilities to meet all the repair needs of the customers. Some may not have the financial means to meet customer payment terms or to carry large receivables. Some may not have the infrastructure to effectively handle ITAR requirements.
Dynatech has these resources and capabilities and, therefore, offers the customer a single, reliable source for his repair and overhaul requirements. The customer doesn’t have to go and manage a half a dozen sources for the repair of components. We serve as the Integrated Prime Vendor (IPV); we manage the entire repair process from receipt to delivery of the repaired item.
We are responsible for the vendor selection and approval, for vendor quality management, and for schedule and cost integrity. We provide visibility in all the stages of the repair process. We submit weekly reports to the customer. We track the progress throughout the repair cycle. We resolve technical issues; we also manage the warranty so that the customer is completely worry free. Basically, we offer a single-source solution with the best value, highest quality, and most competitive pricing for the customer.
Our fleet repair management portfolio includes the support of our “focus platforms” and covers all systems, components and accessories of the aircraft and engine. Our customer base includes major MROs and numerous military operators in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. We are currently expanding our repair management services in North America.
How does the company associate with OEM providers?
Most of our long-term programs as well as the non-contractual business require OEM parts. We are the exclusive distributor for a handful of original equipment manufacturers. We stock and provide new OEM parts including consumables, expendables, ground support equipment, etc. Our portfolio of OEM distributions is quite robust and we are growing it. We team with some of the OEMs on contractual programs in countries where the OEMs choose not to support directly.
Another fact we are proud of is our ability to provide 24/7 response to our customer’s requirements. We offer creative and customized solutions to improve the supportability of their legacy platforms, many of which are out of production. We are agile and flexible and we focus on a handful of aircraft and engines, so we are able to be very responsive and provide greater support. We also have in-house subject matter experts (SMEs) to address customer technical requirements “on demand”.
Because of these attributes, we have been quite successful in forging strategic partnerships with our customers in support of their legacy fleets.
Our business portfolio includes long-term agreements and contracts in Portugal, Romania, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and the US. We are proud of the company we keep and appreciate the confidence our customers have in us.
Dynatech coordinates and arranges onsite training for engine and airframe repair and maintenance. What are the training services offered by Dynatech?
Through our teaming relationships with “best-in-class” companies, we offer onsite training, both classroom and on-the-job training. Our business model combines state-of-the-art technology with the most experienced subject matter experts (SMEs) in the industry. We developed our fleet asset sustainment programs to include, in addition to spares and repairs, logistic services. These services include: inventory and material management, technical and engineering services, and depot level maintenance. We have F-100, C-130, T56, F-5 SMEs on our staff who deal directly with our customer personnel.
What are the objectives and priorities of the company in the coming years?
Our strategic priorities include growing our long-term contracts with select customers. We are targeting additional customers in the regions where we are strong.
We are focusing on:
- Expanding our repair management line of business to include adding new customers and establishing a robust exchange pool of rotables in support of select engines.
- Growing our partnerships and teaming relationships with the OEMs and companies with specialized subject matter expertise to add more value to our sustainment programs.
- Expanding our portfolio of product and value-added services through select acquisitions.
- And above all, maintaining our laser sharp focus on customer satisfaction. I always say, “you are as good as your last delivery”.
If you falter in delivering the product on time, you are not going to maintain that business. Customer Service is our priority. Ours is a “customer first” culture, and this is how we operate. We want to make sure that once we sign a contract with a customer, we can keep him as a preferred customer, a partner for the long term. We have a high-performance team of the best professionals in the industry to support our customers.
What are the highlights of your participation at World Defense Show 2022? Could you talk about your operations in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East?
Saudi Arabia is home to two of our top customers whose relationship with Dynatech is strategic because of the important role they play in the defense of the Kingdom. We are participating in the World Defense Show (WDS 2022) to confirm our commitment and appreciation to these customers, and to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
We have long-term, preferred supplier relationships with the Middle East Propulsion Company (MEPC) in Riyadh and with the Aircraft and Accessories Company (AACC) in Jeddah. MEPC is the leading military engine MRO in the Middle East and we are very proud to be the company’s strategic partner. As a Depot, it is responsible for the maintenance and overhaul of all the military engines of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) fleet.
MEPC provides an excellent example of Saudization and “localization” in the Kingdom, and we are pleased to be a part of the progress Saudi Arabia is making toward developing its Aerospace and Defense industry. Likewise, AACC provides spares and repairs of accessories and components for all the RSAF aircraft. MEPC focuses on engines; AACC focuses on airframes.
With their expanding capabilities, the growth of their skilled Saudi workforce, and their professional and capable management teams, MEPC and AACC are indeed two of the cornerstones of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
We are also strong outside of Saudi Arabia. We have long-term business and preferred supplier agreements in Algeria, Tunisia, the UAE, and Jordan. We expect to add Egypt and Morocco to our customer base in 2022.
We are excited to be celebrating our 50th year in business at the World Defense Show, and to be a part of the development and growth of the defense industry in Saudi Arabia.
