Butler National Corporation announces the opening and ribbon-cutting for the new 33,000-square-foot parts fabrication facility of its subsidiary, Avcon Industries, Inc., at the Newton City-County Airport in Newton, Kansas. Avcon’s continued growth has necessitated the expansion of its fabrication operations in Newton, Kansas. Avcon commenced operations in 1970 with a focus on modifying airplanes for special purposes. More than fifty years later, Avcon’s special mission aircraft modification capabilities have significantly grown. As result of growth, Avcon acquired the adjacent facility to the south of the Avcon campus at Newton City-County Airport. With the new facility, Avcon has purchased expanded multi-axis large envelope machining centers in addition to relocating existing CNC equipment. Avcon has also acquired a waterjet and a large envelope CNC press brake. The Avcon facility is AS9100 compliant.
Marcus Abendroth, president of Avcon, commented, “We are excited to open and deploy our expanded fabrication facility. When Avcon previously worked on three to four airplane modification projects at a time, the former approximately 5,000 square-foot fab shop was sufficient. However, with our 2023 expansion to New Century, Kansas, and an increase in modification kit sales, Avcon has had to outsource a significant amount of parts fabrication. With the new building, added CNC machines, and new fabrication equipment, Avcon is well-positioned to bring manufacturing back in-house. This new facility will enhance Avcon’s aircraft modification capabilities and margins.”