Art Maurice’s corner of the overall general aviation market is strong, and he has lots of reasons why he thinks that’s so. Maurice is a co-founder and president of Columbia Air Services, a family of companies that offers sales, maintenance, avionics, FBO services and, now, charter. Columbia, based in Groton, Conn., has built much of its reputation and following within the owner-flown turbine community.
The Columbia aircraft sales division is a Piper dealer (with emphasis on the turbine-powered Meridian), a sales representative for EADS Socata’s TBM 700 and the Northeast regional sales rep for the slowly progressing Sino Swearingen SJ30-2 light jet. Columbia’s sales territory for the TBM 700 covers the fertile ground of New England; New York; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; Delaware; Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Virginia; West Virginia; and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
