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Air Force II Lands at Waukegan Regional Airport

Waukegan Avionics Electronic Mailing List

Air Force II Lands at Waukegan Regional Airport
Dick Cheney visits Recruits at Great Lakes Naval Station

Waukegan, ILL, March 7, 2008 - Waukegan Avionics and others on the field at Waukegan Regional airport were in for a real treat and surprise visit by the Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney. The operations began Thursday evening with the arrival of a C-17 Transport jumbo jet which hauls in the official Vice Presidential Cadillac Limousine and numerous support SUV’s and other equipment.

“Airforce II landed beautifully and it was awesome to see here in Waukegan,” said Ray Wiltgen, owner/operator of Waukegan Avionics, adding that "it was a real treat to see these aircraft so close.”

Dick Cheney addressed the naval recruits and thanked them for serving the United States saying, “When you leave here, you are accepted into the greatest Navy in the world.”

Although the visit to Waukegan was brief, we appreciate the attention given to this region of the country. According to Dick Cheney, “When you leave Great Lakes, you leave doubt behind.” Adopting this motto, “Waukegan Avionics would like to invite all general aviation owners to stop in soon for your annual, maintenance needs or to update your avionics to the newer and safer panels by Garmin, Honeywell and other leading suppliers – when you leave Waukegan Avionics, you leave doubt behind,” said Abe Hughes, owner/operator of the company.

Ray Wiltgen and Abe Hughes enjoying Airforce II during Dick Cheney’s recent visit

Dick Cheney with Great Lakes recruits – Navy photo by Scott Thornbloom courtesy of Navy.mil

About Waukegan Avionics: Waukegan Avionics has provided general aircraft maintenance and avionics service for over 20 continuous years in the Chicago area from the Waukegan Regional Airport. The company’s roots date back to the 1960’s where it engaged in operations at the Elgin, Sky Harbor, Schaumburg and DuPage airports. Waukegan Avionics is the only FAA authorized full service avionics and maintenance facility in the Northern Chicago/Southern Wisconsin region

Waukegan Avionics Electronic Mailing List

Waukegan Avionics is pleased to announce the release of our electronic mailing list. This is the first of many changes you will see in the coming months and a visible sign of WAI's commitment to improve communications with our customers. List subscribers will receive the latest news and announcements, including information on system availability, upgrades and happenings at WAI. The list also has a sophisticated searchable archive making it possible to find that key piece of information you were looking for. To subscribe, simply click on the Email List button on the menu or click here.

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New course for Waukegan Avionics

Businessman-pilot, engineer see broad horizon in aviation service

December 8, 2007

BY LONG HWA-SHU hlong@scn1.com

Two friends have partnered with a lofty flight plan at Waukegan Regional Airport.

Abe Tomas Hughes II of Highland Park and Ray Wiltgen of Deerfield have acquired Waukegan Avionics, the largest aircraft avionics and repair facility for general aviation in the northern metropolitan Chicago area and southern Wisconsin. They bought the company from the Fogel family after owner Tom Fogel died in September. Terms were not announced.

Waukegan Avionics personnel from left, Steve Goodwin, Avionics Manager of Wonder Lake, Chad Jensen, Avionics technician of Beach Park, Roy Wiltgen, President/Owner of Deerfield, Abe Hughes, owner of Highland Park, Kirk Swanick, director of maintenance of Waukegan and Ken Rottman, lead technician of Winthrop Harbor. (Michael Schmidt/News-Sun)

"There's a lot of growth at the airport. We want to participate in the growth because many people are frustrated with flying commercial airlines," said Hughes, who has an MBA from Harvard Business School and is founder and managing director of Hughes Girardi Partners, an international mergers and acquisitions consulting firm.

The airport is home to 200 aircraft including nearly 60 corporate jets. It has an air traffic control tower and a "user fee" U.S. Customs office. Two flight schools are based there.

Wiltgen, former owner of Product Development Technologies, a leading product design and engineering company in Lincolnshire, has an engineering degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Webster University.

"With the rapid increase in activity at regional airports throughout the country, and particularly in the Chicago metropolitan area, Waukegan Avionics represents the best platform to meet the growing needs of the general aviation market, where we plan to build on the strong relationships this storied company has with local pilots," said Wiltgen, a pilot.

What are avionics?

Avionics, a contraction of the words "aviation" and "electronics," refers to the electronic systems, equipment and other devices in aeronautics and astronautics.

Hughes and Wiltgen, who have known each other for more than 10 years, decided to pool their collective business experiences in this venture. Wiltgen is the general manager, and Hughes, who is in charge of business development, is learning to fly.

Waukegan Avionics has been in business at the airport for more than 20 years. The company traces its roots to the 1960s when it operated at the Elgin, Sky Harbor, Schaumburg and DuPage airports.

The partners have ambitious plans, including selling new and used aircraft and offering "the fullest line of supplies and services" in general aviation, in addition to growing its core businesses. This includes obtaining authorized repair shop certifications from some of the newer high-performance aircraft manufacturers, such as Diamond, Columbia/Cessna and Cirrus, among others, they say.

While the general economy may be weak, the general aviation market, driven by strong business jet orders, is strong. Quoting Aviation News, the partners pointed out that $15 billion in new aircraft were delivered in the first nine months of 2007, up 14 percent.

They are confident that the upward momentum is expected to continue, given the convenience of traveling on private aircraft from regional airports versus flying commercial airlines

And the traffic will not be limited to big corporations. Owners of small and medium-size businesses are increasingly using their own or leased aircraft for business trips and personal leisure travel, they said.

Waukegan Avionics Acquired

New Management to Focus on Growth and Expansion

Plans to be the largest general aviation operator in Northern IL/Southern WI

CHICAGO, Ill, December 3, 2007 - Waukegan Avionics, the largest aircraft avionics and repair facility for general aviation in the northern Chicago metropolitan area and southern Wisconsin airspace has been acquired by local entrepreneurs seeking to dramatically grow and expand the 20 year old business. Waukegan Avionics operates from the Waukegan Regional Airport in northern Illinois. Ray Wiltgen and Abe Hughes, successful Chicago and Lake County businessmen, will become the new general managers and owners of the business.

“With the rapid increase in activity at regional airports throughout the country and particularly in the Chicagoland metropolitan area, Waukegan Avionics represents the best platform to meet the growing needs of the general aviation market where we plan to build on the strong relationships this storied company has with local pilots,” said Ray Wiltgen, the new owner and General Manager.

“Through this acquisition, we plan on growing within the company’s traditional core business segments and by obtaining authorized repair shop certifications from some of the newer high performance aircraft manufacturers such as Diamond, Columbia/Cessna and Cirrus, among others. Additionally, we will grow the business through the expansion into aircraft sales (new and used) and by offering the fullest line of general aviation supplies and services available for the northern Chicago and southern Wisconsin markets,” said Abe Hughes, the new owner responsible for Business Development.

According to Aviation News, the general aviation market delivered $15 billion in new aircraft during the first nine months of 2007, up 14% and driven by strong business jet orders. This rapid rise is expected to continue given the well-known difficulties of traveling via the commercial airlines versus the convenience of traveling on private aircraft from regional airports. General aviation growth is being fueled by small and medium sized business owners who are increasingly using aircraft for business meetings in regional markets and personal leisure travel on a regional basis.

About Waukegan Avionics: Waukegan Avionics has provided avionics and general aircraft maintenance service for over 20 continuous years in the Chicago area from the Waukegan Regional Airport. The company’s roots date back to the 1960’s where it engaged in operations at the Elgin, Sky Harbor, Schaumburg and DuPage airports. Waukegan Avionics is the only FAA authorized full service avionics and maintenance facility in the Northern Chicago/Southern Wisconsin region.

About Ray Wiltgen: Ray Wiltgen, an aviation enthusiast, is a successful businessman who was most recently the owner and operator of PDT, Product Development Technologies of Lincolnshire, a leading professional engineering and product design company in the United States. Prior to PDT, Ray was an owner/operator of Majestic Mold of Chicago, which subsequently merged with PDT. Within the community, he is on the Board of the Tool Manufacturers Association (TMA). Ray is an engineering graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Webster University.

About Abe Hughes: Abe Tomás Hughes is a business leader in Chicago and is the founder and Managing Director of Hughes Girardi Partners, an international mergers and acquisitions advisory firm. Prior to founding the firm, Abe had a successful career in corporate development, strategy, marketing and sales at R.R. Donnelley and Eli Lilly and Company and began his career in investment banking. Abe is involved in the Chicago civic community as a Trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) and is a Board Member of Advocate Health Care. Abe is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

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