Little-known Ross Aviation Operates 14-FBO Chain

While most FBO chains go to great lengths to emphasize their branding and the extent of their network, one marches to the beat of its own drum.

Ross Aviation’s most recent acquisition was the Stevens Aviation location at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, which it merged into its existing Denver Air Center in April.

By Curt Epstein • Business Aviation Services Editor

October 10, 2011

While most FBO chains go to great lengths to emphasize their branding and the extent of their network, one marches to the beat of its own drum. Denver-based Ross Aviation has quietly assembled a portfolio of 14 locations, but not a single one has the name Ross in its title. “Lots of people, including some of our best customers, don’t know that we do have 14 FBOs sprinkled around the United States,” said Jeff Ross, the privately owned company’s president and CEO. “We don’t intend to be a stealth FBO chain, but what we have is a philosophy that we firmly believe in and that is FBOs are local businesses and are best run by local managers.”

Sadly for sign makers around the country, that philosophy extends to maintaining the names and identities of the acquired FBOs as is. “We keep the existing name because that is part of what we purchased,” said Ross. “We want to take advantage of the customer relations and the favorable interaction with transients and based customers and we don’t think that’s benefited by having a single national name.”

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