Milwaukee County Approves Sale of Gran-Aire To Spring City Aviation

Published in Midwest Flyer – February/March 2017 issue

MILWAUKEE, WIS. – Effective December 16, 2016, Milwaukee County approved the sale of Gran-Aire, Inc. at Milwaukee-Timmerman Airport to Spring City Aviation, Inc., and signed a new lease with the company.

Gran-Aire, Inc., located at Milwaukee-Timmerman Airport, sold its hangar rental business, aircraft maintenance and parts departments, flight school, fuel sales and charter operation to Spring City Aviation, located at Waukesha County and Burlington Municipal Airports in Wisconsin.

Gran-Aire has been a full-service fixed-base operation at Milwaukee-Timmerman since 1946 when William Lotzer founded the company. Spring City Aviation provides flight training, air charter and aircraft brokering services at its other two locations. John Lotzer, president and owner of Gran-Aire, Inc., and Brian Behrens of Spring City Aviation, were the principals involved in the sale.

“Brian and I have worked successfully over the last decade in first transferring my flight operations in Waukesha to Spring City, and now through an extensive process involving Milwaukee County and the FAA, we are completing a similar transition of the FBO business at Milwaukee-Timmerman,” said Lotzer.

“Our mutual goal has been long-term stability for both service operations. Spring City has in fact hired all former Gran-Aire employees and is committed to keeping all the same services as Gran-Aire offered.”

Lotzer expressed his appreciation for Gran-Aire’s loyal customers and exceptional staff since the beginning, and is pleased that Gary Bavuso and his staff in the maintenance and parts departments will continue to provide the same high-quality maintenance that Gran-Aire is known for.

Lotzer also thanked newly appointed Milwaukee County Airport Director, Izzy Bouilla, for helping with the transition. Bouilla is an active general aviation pilot and aircraft owner, and a strong advocate of Timmerman Airport as a reliever to Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport.

Gavin Leake, general manager at Spring City Aviation, said “I am excited to be at KMWC on a daily basis, serving as the manager for what will now be known as Spring City Aviation Milwaukee. Gran-Aire is one of the most well-regarded and respected names in Midwest aviation, and I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of a transition which I believe will bring many positive changes to the business, as well as to the airport itself.”

Leake has been with Spring City Aviation since 2006, as a flight instructor, charter pilot, marketing manager, chief flight instructor, and aircraft broker. He indicated that Spring City Aviation will be remodeling and upgrading the customer and pilot facilities at Timmerman, as well as adding a Redbird FMX full-motion simulator.

“We’ll be undertaking a large marketing campaign aimed at driving more traffic to Timmerman, and involving local media in the airport,” said Leake.

For additional information or assistance, contact Gavin Leake at 414-461-3222 (springcityaviation.com).

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