Electrical accessory and instrument MRO provider Freedom Aero Service (Booth No. C11949) has relocated into a unique, historical building in the McClellan Business Park, formerly part of McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, Calif. “The building we are in was built in 1898,” said Scott Durham, president of the company. “It’s historically protected on the outside, but it is 23,900 square feet of totally rebuilt and modernized facility for repairing and overhauling electronic accessories and instruments on the inside.”

McClellan Airfield has a 10,600- by 200-foot concrete runway and several airport businesses. “The park provided a good platform for Freedom Aero Service as we expand our business,” said Durham. “Some of our existing customers were already here, and we were able to build out the building as we needed. We transferred the company over the July 4th weekend, and I can say that we’ve seen a bump in sales since, which I think comes from the relocation.”

At its peak, McClellan Air Force Base was one of the largest employers of both civilian and military workers in Sacramento and the largest industrial facility in Northern California, employing up to 26,000 people for more than 60 years until its closure in 1995. A partnership between Sacramento County and the U.S. Air Force created the McClellan Business Park over the course of eight years, reinventing the historic buildings on the base as executive office space and manufacturing facilities. Hundreds of private companies, from Northrop Grumman to J.C. Penny, are located in the park today.

Durham said that Freedom Aero exhibits at NBAA’s convention because of its networking power. “Our customers are from Canada, the U.S. and overseas. About 50 percent of our business is fixed-wing. We exhibit at NBAA to see those customers,” he said.