AAR celebrates five-year safety milestone at Grand Prairie, Texas, facility

AAR team members celebrate their strong safety record in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Wood Dale, Illinois — AAR CORP., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, recently celebrated a milestone of five years without a recordable safety incident at the Company’s Component Services facility in Grand Prairie, Texas. 

This remarkable achievement reflects AAR’s steadfast commitment to a safety-first culture, embodied in one of the Company’s core values: “Quality first. Safety always.” It also highlights the effectiveness of AAR’s Safety Management System (SMS), which provides a structured framework for identifying, mitigating, and managing safety risks.

The team recently recognized the milestone with a ceremony, bringing all 140 Grand Prairie team members together. Below, Brandon Witte, General Manager of AAR’s Component Services – Grand Prairie facility, shares insight into how the business has achieved five years of safety success and the initiatives that have been implemented to create a positive safety culture.  

Why is a culture of safety important, and how do you foster this with the Grand Prairie team? 
Witte: At AAR, fostering a positive safety culture begins with leadership and extends across every level of the organization. Grand Prairie’s success exemplifies this commitment, demonstrating how teamwork, proactive risk management, and continuous improvement drive safety excellence year over year.

Our team members are the heart of our business. Keeping our team safe each day is a personal goal of mine, and it is a foundational element to support the success of Component Services – Grand Prairie. Our commitment to safety is a key factor in driving our long-term growth and stability.

A positive safety culture starts at the top. Management support is key to forming a strong foundation for a successful safety program. This includes a willingness to take a stand when necessary, even if that means stopping production due to a potential safety hazard or allocating budget to make improvements to the safety of the work environment. You also need the reinforcement and engagement of shop supervision and department leaders to provide guidance across the workforce. Setting and communicating clear expectations that everyone is involved in the safety process creates ownership and has been a driver to reaching five years of a strong safety record. 

How does your team measure success related to safety, and how does this tie into the Company’s broader safety effort? 
Witte: A successful measure of safety includes both leading and lagging measurements. Initial success is determined by team member engagement and participation in the safety process. This is evident in such behaviors as monthly inspections, an enthusiasm for training, and a willingness to proactively identify safety action items. These successes are then validated with indicators such as the measurement of OSHA ratings and areas of improvement. 

How do you communicate with team members about improvements, and how do you ensure compliance with safety regulations?
Witte: Our Environmental, Health, and Safety team evaluates data to provide the workforce with insight into where we can improve. This topic is included in our regular meetings, and a summary of findings is posted on electronic screens throughout our facility for quick reference. This visual ensures safety remains top of mind. We also prioritize training on safety topics both virtually and through on-the-job experiences. 

Our entire team takes a proactive approach to remain compliant with safety regulations, and there is a great deal of pride in continuing our successful safety performance. Team members take accountability in their role in maintaining a safe environment, always prioritizing the “Quality first. Safety always.” value. 

What is next in your safety journey?
Witte: The next step in our safety journey is to keep upholding and celebrating the success of our positive safety culture. Many of our newly hired team members participated in our safety celebration where they experienced firsthand how we prioritize the safety of our workforce. A safety banner (shown in the photo above) will hang in our breakroom to recognize the milestone. It is our goal to add a banner for each additional year without a recordable safety incident. We are currently implementing AAR's robust Safety Management System program to enhance our ability to track, document, and communicate safety initiatives. 

Shachar Hacohen, AAR’s Vice President of Corporate Safety, oversees the Company’s overall safety program and added, “AAR remains committed to supporting its employees through innovation, engagement, and a shared vision of safety excellence across our global operations. As the Grand Prairie facility further transitions to AAR's corporate systems, the SMS will continue to empower the workforce to maintain and enhance its safety-first culture. This milestone is a proud moment for AAR and a benchmark of the Company's unwavering dedication to safety and quality across our operations.”

About AAR
AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company with operations in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through four operating segments: Parts Supply, Repair & Engineering, Integrated Solutions, and Expeditionary Services. Additional information can be found at aarcorp.com.

This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, reflecting management’s expectations about future conditions, including continued focus on safety and quality initiatives. Forward-looking statements may also be identified because they contain words such as ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘continue,’’ ‘‘could,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘likely,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘might,’’ ‘‘plan,’’ ‘‘potential,’’ ‘‘predict,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘seek,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘target,’’ ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘would,’’ or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to management and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to “Risk Factors” in AAR CORP.’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond management’s control. Management assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

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