Len Lanetti
Cleared for Takeoff
The Business Journal of Jacksonville
From the June 20, 2005 print edition
Westside plane seller wins Southeast market
Tony Quesada
Staff Writer
HERLONG AIRPORT -- Jeff Ermish may have found the perfect business to fit his love of flying and his entrepreneurial spirit.
Symphony Aircraft Sales LLC, Ermish's new company, was recently chosen to be the exclusive dealer in the Southeast for the Symphony 160, a new two-seat, single-engine plane whose demand is outpacing its supply.
"They were looking for someone who would get on the street and aggressively market the aircraft and not just wait for the phone to ring," Ermish said.
That means flying the plane throughout the region to show the Symphony 160's virtues compared to other two-seaters. Based at Herlong Airport on the Westside, Ermish is being counted on to tap deep into Florida's general aviation market.
"If [Florida] does not play out to be No. 1, I'll be disappointed," said Paul Costanzo, president and CEO of Symphony Aircraft Industries in Quebec. "There's a huge market potential for Florida, and we think Jeff Ermish is the kind of guy who can do a good job going after it."
The target market for the Symphony 160 consists of flight schools and business people who make a lot of trips within about 400 miles.
The plane has received favorable reviews in industry journals looking at its suitability as a teaching plane.
"The Symphony is gentle and forgiving throughout its speed range," Bill Cox wrote for Pilot&Plane magazine, adding that "good slow-flight characteristics" are critical to cracking the training market.
J.B. Renninger, director of Florida Community College at Jacksonville's Aviation Center of Excellence, flew the Symphony 160 and was impressed with its easy handling.
"It's a very docile aircraft," he said.
The visual flight rules version of the Symphony 160 costs $139,900, but Ermish expects the majority of planes sold to be the instrument flight rules version at $154,900. And once Avidyne Corp.'s Entegra integrated flight deck becomes an option, he expects many to opt for that configuration at $189,650.
The biggest challenge may not be selling the Symphony 160, but rather having enough planes to sell. Ermish has sold two planes but the maker has yet to deliver the second one.
The company was finishing its fourth plane the week of June 13, well behind the production schedule it announced in October 2004 to make seven planes in the first quarter of 2005 and 50 planes by the end of the year.
So far, the first 17 planes have been sold before they were made. And even if Symphony Aircraft achieves its goals for increasing production -- 100 in 2006 and 150 in 2007 -- every new Symphony 160 for at least a few years is expected to have an owner before it gets through the assembly line.
Demand could get even greater when the Entegra-equipped version is shown at the popular EAA Air Venture air show in Oshkosh, Wisc., in July. And although excessive demand versus supply beats the alternative, Costanzo said he's concerned a large wave of orders could put off potential buyers unwilling to wait too long for a plane.
"If the backlog gets past about six months, I might get in a position where customers can become frustrated," Costanzo said. "But if the backlog gets that big, we'll be able to put more resources into being able to ramp up production."
Costanzo said having so few planes for customers to see and fly makes selling them hard. Ermish doesn't have that problem.
Having been allocated the second plane off the assembly line, Ermish was able to lease it from the buyer to use as a demo model. He plans to fly it to general aviation airports throughout Florida and Georgia to follow up on 50 to 60 leads he obtained from a recent air show. After that he plans to take the Symphony 160 on a tour of flight schools and general aviation fixed-base operators.
Ermish hopes to sell 10 planes this year and increase to 50 a year over time. Given the interest in the product, he considers both goals attainable.
"The market is really looking for a new two-seat aircraft," he said.
tquesada@bizjournals.com | 265-2220
From the June 20, 2005 print edition
Westside plane seller wins Southeast market
Tony Quesada
Staff Writer
HERLONG AIRPORT -- Jeff Ermish may have found the perfect business to fit his love of flying and his entrepreneurial spirit.
Symphony Aircraft Sales LLC, Ermish's new company, was recently chosen to be the exclusive dealer in the Southeast for the Symphony 160, a new two-seat, single-engine plane whose demand is outpacing its supply.
"They were looking for someone who would get on the street and aggressively market the aircraft and not just wait for the phone to ring," Ermish said.
That means flying the plane throughout the region to show the Symphony 160's virtues compared to other two-seaters. Based at Herlong Airport on the Westside, Ermish is being counted on to tap deep into Florida's general aviation market.
"If [Florida] does not play out to be No. 1, I'll be disappointed," said Paul Costanzo, president and CEO of Symphony Aircraft Industries in Quebec. "There's a huge market potential for Florida, and we think Jeff Ermish is the kind of guy who can do a good job going after it."
The target market for the Symphony 160 consists of flight schools and business people who make a lot of trips within about 400 miles.
The plane has received favorable reviews in industry journals looking at its suitability as a teaching plane.
"The Symphony is gentle and forgiving throughout its speed range," Bill Cox wrote for Pilot&Plane magazine, adding that "good slow-flight characteristics" are critical to cracking the training market.
J.B. Renninger, director of Florida Community College at Jacksonville's Aviation Center of Excellence, flew the Symphony 160 and was impressed with its easy handling.
"It's a very docile aircraft," he said.
The visual flight rules version of the Symphony 160 costs $139,900, but Ermish expects the majority of planes sold to be the instrument flight rules version at $154,900. And once Avidyne Corp.'s Entegra integrated flight deck becomes an option, he expects many to opt for that configuration at $189,650.
The biggest challenge may not be selling the Symphony 160, but rather having enough planes to sell. Ermish has sold two planes but the maker has yet to deliver the second one.
The company was finishing its fourth plane the week of June 13, well behind the production schedule it announced in October 2004 to make seven planes in the first quarter of 2005 and 50 planes by the end of the year.
So far, the first 17 planes have been sold before they were made. And even if Symphony Aircraft achieves its goals for increasing production -- 100 in 2006 and 150 in 2007 -- every new Symphony 160 for at least a few years is expected to have an owner before it gets through the assembly line.
Demand could get even greater when the Entegra-equipped version is shown at the popular EAA Air Venture air show in Oshkosh, Wisc., in July. And although excessive demand versus supply beats the alternative, Costanzo said he's concerned a large wave of orders could put off potential buyers unwilling to wait too long for a plane.
"If the backlog gets past about six months, I might get in a position where customers can become frustrated," Costanzo said. "But if the backlog gets that big, we'll be able to put more resources into being able to ramp up production."
Costanzo said having so few planes for customers to see and fly makes selling them hard. Ermish doesn't have that problem.
Having been allocated the second plane off the assembly line, Ermish was able to lease it from the buyer to use as a demo model. He plans to fly it to general aviation airports throughout Florida and Georgia to follow up on 50 to 60 leads he obtained from a recent air show. After that he plans to take the Symphony 160 on a tour of flight schools and general aviation fixed-base operators.
Ermish hopes to sell 10 planes this year and increase to 50 a year over time. Given the interest in the product, he considers both goals attainable.
"The market is really looking for a new two-seat aircraft," he said.
tquesada@bizjournals.com | 265-2220