Maybe it was the promise of the return on investment that catapulted JetAire Group into the winner’s circle on pitch day for the Atlanta Metro Export Challenge.
To hear Chief Operating Officer Kristina Williams tell it, the reach of the $15,000 first prize could go almost unimaginably far.
“If JetAire were awarded the additional funds, it could easily contribute to economic impacts in the state of Georgia in excess of $50 million,” Ms. Williams told a panel of five judges and a room full of international trade proponents Friday evening.
Operating with the motto “safety under your wings,” the Fayetteville-based manufacturer makes a patented foam system, known as Invicta, used to suppress sparks in aircraft fuel tanks.
And it’s no longer just a nice-to-have: The Federal Aviation Administration and regulators in many other countries have mandated that owners of many Airbus and Boeing planes meet certain standards within three years, creating a huge potential upside for JetAire, founded in 1984.
“With a compliance requirement of 2026, we have identified more than 1,000 aircraft conservatively across 20-plus countries that will require fuel tank flammability compliance,” Ms. Williams said in her pitch, framing the company’s plans as a continuation of work it kick-started with an initial MEC grant.
In 2021, JetAire received $5,000 that it used to develop the Invicta brand and create international marketing materials. Another $15,000, she promised, would be put toward a methodical three-year plan that would create awareness through digital marketing, train JetAire technicians and manufacturing staff on installation and production techniques, then execute on the resulting sales opportunities.
After all six companies made their pitches on the rooftop of the Savannah College of Art & Design’s new 40 building in Atlanta, JetAire emerged as the consensus pick, edging out Safely, an insurance provider for…
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