HI-LITE ESTABLISHES OPERATIONS IN MIAMI

Hi-Lite opens third location in Florida as a response to the high demand in airfield maintenance services. In addition to St. Augustine and Bradenton, Hi-Lite has opened another location dedicated exclusively to the contract awarded by the Miami Dade Airport Authority. Hi-Lite’s mission for Miami is to maintain the Part 139 zero discrepancy record the airport has attained over the last decade.

It was in the last quarter of 2016 that Hi-Lite learned of an AMS (Airfield Maintenance Services) contract award at the Miami International Airport. After establishing similar operations in Caribbean and Middle Eastern airports, Hi-Lite understood the steps involved in setting up an operations center to service an airport from the ground up. Given Miami’s status as one of the top 10 busiest airports in the United States, the expectations were high and Hi-Lite started to recruit talent and acquire equipment needed to execute the services. Hi-Lite’s experience of working in Florida and now recently through the Statewide Markings Contract facilitated the process in the first 60 days of establishing operations.

Chris Miller, Chief Operations Officer for Hi-Lite mentions, “since we are local to the state and we have the equipment and manpower needed for the contract, we were perfectly positioned for this opportunity and we are developing a strong partnership with the Miami Dade Airport Authority.” The Airfield and Roadway Striping Service Contract is a type of Hi-Lite’s AMS service package, a performance based maintenance contract with on-going maintenance and regular reporting. Two of AMS’s most notable components is to reduce safety risks while enhancing compliance with FAA Part 139 mandates.

The First 60 days

During the initial establishment of the Miami operations, the company advertised positons and hired five residents from Miami Dade County. Soon after being hired, the new employees embarked in Airfield Maintenance and Safety training through the Hi-Lite Academy and became certified Airfield Maintenance Technicians. “The team understands the high expectations and are fully committed to delivering quality work while upholding company safety standards,” mentions Howard McNeely, Superintendent of the Miami project. In addition, Hi-Lite acquired airport paint trucks and supplementary equipment for both waterborne paint and thermoplastic markings application. A new job site office trailer was also stationed at the airport for immediate workspace needs.

Airfield Maintenance Services (AMS) Contract

The type of contract awarded at Miami is most common at large hubs where a contractor can be on-call within two hours of incident reporting. This technicality narrows down candidates to companies that are able to set up permanent operations with personnel and equipment in the vicinity of the airport. Similar contracts have been awarded in Atlanta Hartsfield. In the case of Miami, execution of required scope of work is based on work orders issued by airport personnel. The scope of work is concentrated to the area of markings’ maintenance in both airside and landside. The Hi-Lite team will work jointly with Miami airport personnel to identify issues before they occur and take a proactive and even predictive approach to maintenance. Currently the Hi-Lite team has been replacing thermoplastic markings in roadways in the landside area. Hi-Lite’s management understands the impact of this type of contract on the local economy and will continue to invest in resources, hire locally, and train personnel to make the contract a success. The local team is preparing for airfield painting interventions later in the year and are dedicated to maintaining Miami’s zero discrepancy record in Part 139 marking requirements.