Industry & Business: Chris Stewart
By Kathy Roberts
If you’ve ever flown in a Boeing 737 or an Airbus, you’ve relied on engine components manufactured in Douglas, Georgia.
“At any given time, there are millions of PCC parts in commercial airliners,” says Chris Stewart, general manager of PCC Airfoils in Douglas.
Stewart joined the company 22 years ago as a production scheduler. During that time he also spent 15 years in the National Guard as an infantry officer. “PCC Airfoils was always an enthusiastic supporter of my service and encouraged me to apply the skills I learned in the Guard to my leadership development here,” says Stewart.
PCC Douglas primarily manufactures aircraft- and land-based gas-turbine engine rotating blades, stationary vanes, and engine nozzles for OEMs and the global aftermarket.
“We make strictly engine components here in Douglas,” says Stewart. “Without getting too far in the weeds, think about those giant fans you see in airplane engines. There’s an air curtain in them to quiet the engine and create an air stream that makes them more efficient. We make the blades, vanes, and shroud hangers, which are structural clips, that go inside these engines.”
PCC is based in Bedford, Ohio, and has multiple manufacturing sites throughout the U.S., Mexico and England.
The Douglas location began as TRW Castings in 1983 and was acquired by PCC Airfoils in 1986. The plant has since doubled its footprint. Approximately 80 percent of its manufacturing is for airplane engines, both commercial and military, and the remaining 20 percent is for parts for industrial gas turbines used in power generation.
The process, called lost-wax investment casting, is a highly sophisticated method to cast metal. “It’s a millennial-old technology the ancient Egyptians used to make jewelry,” he says. “At PCC, we cast parts in much the same way, except for state-of-the-art airplane engines meticulously manufactured to withstand high temperatures and extreme environments.”
The process begins with wax pellets being formed into wax patterns. The wax patterns are assembled into wax molds, then dipped in a ceramic coating to form a hard shell around the mold. The wax is removed, and the ceramic mold is sent to a foundry, where a superalloy composed primarily of nickel and cobalt is poured into the ceramic-encased mold.
Finally, the ceramic mold is removed, and the part is machined for shipping. It then undergoes further machining and assembly into an airplane engine module. The method delivers precise results while reducing waste. The plant recycles 60 percent of its waste.
“We inject around $25 million into the local economy,” says Stewart. “While we can’t host tours or build a prominent community presence because of security, we want to be a good steward of our community by supporting the chamber, civic organizations, and education.”
Stewart has made outreach to technical training schools and to Georgia’s engineering and computer science programs a top priority. PCC brings in co-op students from Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, and Kennesaw State to work at the facility. He also works closely with Wiregrass Georgia Technical College to provide technical training for industrial electricians, facilities maintenance, and POC controls.
“I’m a local. I’m a strong advocate for hiring local folks because I know they’ve either grown up here or have chosen to move here,” he says. “I’m cultivating relationships with several colleges here in South Georgia to develop engineering and technical programs that will attract their students to work for us and build their careers.
“We’re a steward of intellectual property. We maintain tools and manufacturing engineering for these highly skilled jobs. I really believe our colleges in South Georgia are the right partners.”
Stewart says the company plans to expand by about 5 percent per year over the next 5 to 10 years. “One of our strengths is that PCC Airfoils is highly vertically integrated. We source alloy from our facilities in Michigan and Ohio; they’re the world’s largest metal casters and have significant capacity. Raw material is not an issue,” he says.
“Every part of the operation is ITAR-controlled (International Traffic in Arms Regulations). As a result, almost all of our suppliers are U.S.-based. It’s more work up front and less on the back end. We’re less vulnerable to tariffs and international issues, which makes it easier to manage and gives us a bit of insulation,” he adds.
“Our biggest challenges include expanding capacity and competing for skilled talent in a growing regional job market,”
Stewart says.
“There’s a lot happening in Douglas,” he says. “It’s a great place to live and work, and an exciting time to be part of this community.”