State University and went to work for a Tulsa aerospace company.
In 1981, at 27 years old, he found a niche in the helicopter component
repair business.
"I was looking for a job and, during the job search, I
found this opportunity," Austin said. "We started with four people in a
4,000-square-foot building, repairing helicopter parts for the industry
worldwide. At the time, it was mainly for oil-related companies in the North Sea
or along the Gulf Coast. We started growing from there."
Repairing
helicopters along the Gulf Coast led to work in Mexico and Colombia with the
Drug Enforcement Administration, the federal agency charged with the
interdiction of illegal drugs. The company began fixing parts for the
Vietnam-era UH-1 Huey helicopter, which led to work on the AH-1 Cobra, Austin
said.
"We repaired floors, cowlings and belly panels," he said. "They
would come in with bullet holes, and we would replace them. They (customers)
would drill off the panels and ship them to us in containers."
One of
the company's first customers was a Canadian, who brought them five helicopters
to overhaul. At the time in the early-1980s, the Canadians were among the first
in the world to repair and rebuild crash- damaged helicopters.
One of
the Canadians, Croft Wilkinson, president and founder of Helicopter Welders,
based in Vancouver, British Columbia, had a background in metallurgy. He had
studied the ef fects of corrosion on aircraft components, and he became a friend
and mentor to Austin.
"He was known worldwide for his capabilities
repairing crash-damaged helicopters," Austin said. "I was repairing helicopter
parts, and the parts needed to fit the helicopters. If there was a problem with
any of my molds, he would check them very closely. He would give me feedback if
there was any problem with my parts."
As the company's expertise grew,
so did its customer base. Work for Petroleum Helicopters of Lafayette, La.,
which leases helicopters for oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, led to work
for Canadian Helicopters of St. John's, Newfoundland, which led to jobs with Air
Logistics of Aberdeen, Scotland.
And, with that track record, the U.S.
Defense Department and Boeing Co. came calling.
"Most of our business
has come to us based on our quality and (on-time) delivery," Austin said. "The
future of the company still is solidly with helicopters. We have probably 85
percent of the world (helicopter repair) market."
Helicomb uses all
kinds of space- age materials in its repair work: Low- temperature adhesives,
kevlar, graphite, aluminum, titanium and bonded composites are just some
examples, Austin said.
The company's plant has grown to 80,000 square
feet, up from 65,000 square feet five years ago. Its present facilities could
handle an expansion to 150 people.
"Being international, in helicopters
and dabbling in the defense business is a ton of fun," Austin said.
D.R. Stewart, World business writer, can be reached at 581-8451 or
via e-mail at mailto:don.stewart@tulsaworld.com.