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| GlobalSelect Your Luxury Gateway to Houston |
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| Source: The AutoPILOT Magazine |
| By: Albert Opraseuth |
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KSA is proud of our longstanding relationship with the Sugar Land Regional Airport and the outstanding improvements that the Airport has accomplished in the last 8 years. Congratulations to Phil Savko, Anne Gaines, and the entire staff at the Airport for an outstanding article and best wishes to you for the success of your new brand. Read more in this recent article published in the December-January 2011 Southwest Edition of the AutoPILOT magazine. www.autopilotmagazine.com
One of William Shakespeare’s most notable literary characters once famously begged the question, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It’s a rhetorical question: When you rename something, does its essence stay the same? The simple answer is yes; of course it does. Just as an aircraft by any other name would still be a monumental technological achievement and the execution of first-class customer service, by a different moniker, would still be something every company would strive to achieve.
However, what a name can do is invoke an image or idea. Just as a rose conjures cognitive recognitions of beauty and romanticism, GlobalSelect, Sugar Land Regional Airport’s (SGR) newly rebranded, city-owned and operated FBO, aims to reflect its luxurious and award-wining facility (Aviation International News’ Top FBO in 2009 and 2010). The FBO still operates by the principles and quality level of service that it always has; nonetheless, its new name echoes its aspirations to continue to be rated among the truly elite in both the domestic and international aviation communities.
“We felt the need to name the experience that others were celebrating,” says Jodie Kaluza, customer service and marketing manager at SGR. “It’s one of the premier facilities in the U.S.”
Located in SGR’s 20,000 square-foot terminal building, GlobalSelect is an inspiration for what municipally-owned FBOs can aspire to. The luxurious ranch-like structure offers state-of-the-art amenities and conveniences to all its patrons. The full-service FBO provides WiFi, more than half a million square feet of apron space for aircraft parking, conference rooms, a lavish executive lounge, two fully-staffed rental car agencies, an onsite café, a Texas-themed gift shop and a heritage display accounting the history of the city.
“We have amazing facilities,” says Assistant Aviation Director Anne Gaines. “We haven’t really added to the facilities or FBO. We’ve taken what’s already there, which is extremely high quality, and put a name to it so that people who might not be as familiar with Sugar Land can see and instantly recognize the excellence of who we are. Other FBOs are named to reflect their quality and now we are too.”
However, as Director of Aviation Phillip Savko explains, “Think of it as going to a municipal golf course versus a country club. At the public course you expect to see divots, at the country club you expect to see grounds that are pristine and well manicured. Our service-oriented mentality and top notch facilities have set us apart and has allowed our FBO to compete with private FBOs.”
“Most corporate pilots are surprised at what we have to offer and have discovered that the contents of our book are as exciting as the cover. The name GlobalSelect reflects the future. We want to grow our business by attracting more international clients and continuing to provide excellent service. All the name change does is to reach out to those who might already have a predisposition against city- or county-run FBOs,” Savko continues.
GlobalSelect provides Shell Aviation 100LL and Jet A fuel. Furthermore, additional amenities include: onsite U.S. Customs services, gourmet catering, Quick Turn, GPU, LAV, concierge-type customer service and ground service with NATA Safety 1st certified personnel.
“We are the fourth largest airport in the Houston area, the foremost reliever airport and we provide the best service you’ll get at any FBO,” Kaluza says. “We have the potential to meet all customer requests and provide a red-carpet treatment like no other.”
GlobalSelect certainly outdoes itself in the amenities department for its guests, but it truly shines when taking care of pilots and crews when they fly in. Taking up approximately a quarter of the building, the FBO’s “Professional Crew Suite” really adds the finishing touch to the experience. After getting an access code from the front desk, pilots and crew members can enter a private lounge area where they are met with a facility that it would be an understatement to call elite. The suite offers a kitchenette area with stocked beverages and freshly baked cookies, flight planning area, snooze room, exercise facility, private office, reading area, shower and a media room with a 92-inch projection TV that features a Blu-Ray player and surround sound. There are also four crew cars available for crew members wanting to explore the upscale area surrounding SGR.
>“We have no commercial traffic,” Kaluza says. “We are committed to general and corporate aviation. You’re not going to get the delays you’ll get at other airports. We’re air to chair in about 15 minutes.”
“I really don’t think you’ll find anybody better than us,” adds Savko. “The level of service that we provide demands that we constantly try to outdo ourselves. Launching the FBO with a new name allows us an opportunity to introduce ourselves to the discerning customer and hopefully encourage them to take a look at us—one of the best FBOs in the world!”
SGR itself averages 115 aircraft operations daily and Runway 17/35—its 8,000-foot by 100-foot concrete runway—accommodates the traffic. Approach 17 has two-light PAPI visual slope indicators on the right and approach 35 has four-light PAPIs on the left. The airport is towered, has STARS Radar and an ASOS Weather Observation System.
The support for the FBO, and the airport in general, in turn reflects the city’s support of general aviation and local pilots also reap the benefits. The T-Hangar area, called “The General Aviation Complex,” is a 66-acre facility housing 99 T-Hangars all with electronic, overhead-folding doors. The complex is gated and can only be accessed by code and it has its own mini-terminal building with a pilot lounge. However, the most interesting part of the facility is how you get access to it: you must taxi with your plane via a bridge over a scenic body of water to the complex.
“It’s a brand-new, $26 million facility,” Savko says. “We may have the first bridges like that for aviation in the country. Either way it’s a nice treat for visiting pilots and locals alike.”
Founded in 1952 by Dr. Donald “Doc” Hull, SGR began as a grass strip called Hull Field. In the 1960s Doc built an asphalt runway and a parallel taxiway in the 1970s. The runway was lengthened and widened to its current size by 1985. In 1990 the City of Sugar Land, which actually got its name from a successful sugar factory in the area, purchased the airport. With a new business plan and the support of a proactive city management team and council, the airport blossomed into the premier general aviation stop in the Houston area. With its mission to be the safest, best-planned, and most recognized reliever in the metropolitan region, it sets the professional standards for which all city- or county-operated airports strive.
“We’ve had a very productive and supportive city council and management team,” Kaluza says. “They’ve supported us throughout the entire process.”
“We had to talk to our city council about the perception that might be out there about municipally-run airports and how it doesn’t necessarily reflect on our city,” Gaines adds. “So their permission to go forward and rebrand the FBO shows a huge amount of support for growing not only the FBO but the airport as well.”
“Everything—our design, colors and signs—has kept to our business plan and it’s worked out well,” Savko asserts. “Right now we’re in a project to build a new taxiway and six large corporate hangars with the capacity to house corporate aviation departments. But the biggest thing is that we want to develop with the community’s needs. We want them to have an airport they can be proud of and also maintain a balance.”
With the present underfoot and the future ready to be expanded upon, now when you hear and read about GlobalSelect—the FBO at Sugar Land Regional Airport’s new name—it should conjure images of Houston, elegance and elite service in your mind. Even with a new name the FBO is still the premier destination in the area, and this “rose” with its new name is certainly just as sweet.
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