May 4 marked the grand opening of Keystone Turbine Services (KTS), an FAA-certified Part 145 turboshaft and turboprop engine maintenance and overhaul facility located in Coatesville, Penn. Parent company partners M International of McLean, Va., created KTS by purchasing the engine shop assets of nearby Keystone Helicopter Services, a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft. The acquisition included all to
ols, test equipment and parts, plus immediate job offers for all of the original engine shop staff there. Attending the ceremony at KTS's newly renovated 30,000 square-foo facility were federal, state and local officials, including former secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Also in attendance was a representative from Honeywell, who hand-delivered the company's repair, overhaul, service and support certificate for Rolls-Royce 250 and Honeywell LTS101 engine components. Richard McConn, CEO of M International, spoke of the exceptional opportunity the opening of KTS represents. "We heard [the Keystone Helicopter engine shop] was for sale, and that the deal had fallen through," he recalled. "Sikorsky let us know, and we jumped in and were able to close by December 15th [2011]." KTS is an authorized service provider for Pratt & Whitney, Turbomeca, and Rolls-Royce powerplants. Plans are already in place to increase the size of the facility by 10,000 square feet as it brings in additional engine work from Stroud, Okla.-based Mint Turbines, another M International subsidiary.