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Jul
21
2025
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Posted 3 days ago ago by Admin
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Adam Richardson was chatting with his neighbor Randy Sharkey one day in 2022 and let Sharkey know he was moving south for a new job. Richardson’s kids grew up playing with Sharkey’s grandkids, but they never really talked shop. So when Sharkey asked about Richardson’s new job, the men were surprised to find they both were in the aerospace industry. A week later, Sharkey and Richardson were boarding the private jet of Sharkey’s boss, visionary businessman Chuck Surack.
Instead of moving south to work for GE, Richardson ended up staying in the Midwest (albeit 7 hours north) to become COO for Enstrom Helicopter Corporation in 2023. Surack had just saved Enstrom from bankruptcy and wanted to build the storied company back to prominence. When Richardson saw Surack’s passion towards revitalizing Enstrom, he quickly realized this wasn’t a private equity short-term flip.
“In 2023 I was in a fortunate situation where I wasn’t chasing income to put food on my family’s table. My wife and I through happenstance and hard work had enabled us to take a chance,” said Richardson, who was promoted to Enstrom’s president/CEO position just months ago. “I can tell Chuck my real thoughts. I’m not one to hold anything back, and I tell it how it is. With the investment and patience required at Enstrom these first few years, we couldn’t have asked for a better owner.”
Surack is widely known as the innovative founder of Sweetwater Sound, the largest online retailer of musical instruments and professional audio equipment. He’s heavily invested in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana with an eclectic mix of businesses including a luxury car dealership, eyewear retail stores, a music and events center with a restaurant and coffee shop next door, an entertainment publication, and a downtown mixed-use development. He also is part owner of the Indy Eleven pro soccer team based at the state capital.
Alongside music, Surack’s other major love is flying. Surack Enterprises’ portfolio of aviation-related businesses includes Sweet Aviation, which provides fixed-wing charter flights, training, and rentals; Sweet Helicopters, which does the same for rotorcraft; and Aviation Specialty Insurance.
When Surack saw that the long-standing Midwestern operations of Enstrom needed help, he couldn’t resist. Back in 2008, he had purchased a brand-new Enstrom 480B after learning to fly.
Now a fellow Hoosier is helping him lead Enstrom’s revival in Menominee, Michigan. “Adam Richardson has demonstrated an infectious energy and determination to succeed that will benefit both customers and Enstrom employees,” Surack said when announcing Richardson’s promotion.
After working 17 years for Rolls-Royce Gas Turbine Operations in a wide variety of positions – including quality engineering, quality analyst, ops business analyst, planning manager, production manager, operations manager and more – Richardson was excited about Enstrom’s small-team atmosphere.
“After visiting Enstrom for the first time and seeing helicopters on the flight line, not just gas turbine engines waiting to go out to an airframer, I knew I wanted this in my future,” Richardson said. Within 30 days of accepting the job offer, Richardson was learning to fly an Enstrom 280FX. Before even moving to Menominee, he had his first solo flight logged on his 13th hour.
“This wasn’t a requirement of the job, but I wanted to touch and feel just a little bit of what I was getting myself into,” he explained. He admits he has been too busy since then to keep it going, but he wants to get the flying restarted once Enstrom itself is fully restarted.
This is Richardson’s first media interview since taking the Enstrom helm. “I like to show what I’ve accomplished by results, not talk about it, but here I am,” Richardson said.
He’s looking forward to 2025 being the first year in this decade that Enstrom is back with new turbines in U.S. airspace featuring upgraded glass avionics and fuel systems.
NEW FOCUS ON GENERAL AVIATION AND TRAINING
Enstrom’s first goal under Surack’s new ownership was taking care of its current customer base both with spares and fleet ops support. Over the past year, the company has delivered spare and overhaul parts to customers on all six continents where Enstrom helicopters are flown. “Our spare part arrears are down to less than seven unique parts, from over 100 when Chuck reopened the business in 2022,” Richardson said.
Now the business is segueing into Surack’s top overall goal: to make Enstrom a leading helicopter manufacturer once more, focusing on general aviation and training.
Enstrom leaders were passionate about creating the F-28F piston in the 1970s and customers felt that, Richardson related. Countless pilots bought it after learning to fly in it. Over 600 of the company’s 1,200 helicopter sales were in the 1970s. Then Enstrom created a great turbine product in the 1990s with the 480B, but didn’t market it or look at tweaking it enough for general aviation consumption, mainly selling it to governments, Richardson said.
“We make a great helicopter,” Richardson said. “People love to fly it. Pilots come in who have never flown an Enstrom but have flown Black Hawks and many other large airframes and they’re shocked. They say things like, ‘This thing has such smooth control.’ It’s nimble but has a heavy presence that gives the pilot confidence in his ability to ‘feel’ the aircraft. It’s why so many militaries across the world rely on our turbine to be the helicopter of choice for training pilots. Come fly our turbine through the paces compared to our competition and you’ll feel the difference. We don’t hide behind hydraulic controls because we don’t have to. We want our pilots to know what a little feedback feels like. It’s the helicopter you want to learn in.”
Surack wants his rotorcraft to look as nice as they fly, Richardson added. He’s the kind of guy who notices the form and fit of a vehicle. “He doesn’t want just one piece of the puzzle, he wants the whole picture,” Richardson related. “Our 480B is great to fly; let’s make it great on the eye and great to sit in.” With that attention to detail in mind, this year’s new 480B Elite features exclusive paint schemes and refined interior designs. Legendary airbrush artist Dean Loucks has designed bold, clean paint patterns that attract attention. Advanced interior trim and color packages will be included to match the designer paint jobs.
“This is the option for personal owners who want all the accoutrements,” said Charles Wade, Enstrom’s senior vice president of product, sales and customer excellence.
The 480B Elite model package features an all-glass digital instrument panel, Garmin G500H avionics, GTN750/GTN650 digital audio radios, ADS-B In/Out surveillance, Genesys autopilot, and air conditioning.
The 480B Signature will become the new baseline for what Enstrom will market to owner operators, with optional upgrades available. The 480B Signature includes comparable features for engine indication, avionics, radios, and surveillance. Other features, including autopilot and air conditioning, can be added to the Signature model for an additional cost.
The standard 480B will remain a legacy product for customers who just want the basics or prefer analog engine indication and avionics systems.
RAMPING UP CHANGES
Since Richardson came on board as COO, Enstrom has obtained its license to manufacture (Production Certificate), received its license to repair (Repair Station Certificate), and delivered piston and turbine helicopters to customers in both South America and Africa.
Enstrom began the year 2024 by celebrating the opening of its FAA-approved repair station in Menominee, which now provides helicopter maintenance, repairs\upgrades, and component overhauls. The repair station earned its EASA validation so it can serve European Union customers.
As has become tradition, Enstrom saved its biggest announcements of the year for HAI Heli-Expo 2024. It announced a new collaboration with Genesys Aerosystems for the 480B autopilot, a partnership with Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems to provide air conditioning for the 280FX and F28F, and an expanded partnership with Airwolf Aerospace to allow for the installation of True Blue Power TB17 Lithium-ion batteries in the 480B. Enstrom also debuted several new paint schemes.
Enstrom now has a renewed focus on improving regulatory affairs, expanding the company’s global network, and building a sustainable business model for the future – a model that leads with passion versus the bottom line.
The company is ramping up its manufacturing facility with a goal of at least tripling its annual production to 35-50 helicopters.
Under Surack’s leadership, Enstrom is breaking a cycle of layoffs and has now grown to over 180 employees. It’s also working with local high schools and trade schools to ensure new talent is available to replace retirees.
“Our success relies on us internally getting it right,” Richardson said. “I don’t want to win on a marketing campaign; I want to win because of the level of the product we produced.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Enstrom is poised to begin delivering its 480B turbine models in Q3 of 2025. It’s also finalizing its piston CRFS certification, so Richardson expects to be delivering new piston helicopters in Q2 2026.
In preparation for these deliveries, Enstrom representatives have been busy recruiting dealers and factory-authorized service centers, where every technician will be fully equipped to service all Enstrom models.
Enstrom wants its own completion center too. “Some people want a little extra flavor,” Richardson observed. “So that’s part of the innovation.”
Enstrom is privately owned, so it can play the long game instead of worrying about investor pressure for quick profits, he noted.
“We’re not selling snake oil here,” he assured. “We’re going to truly develop the product we have. We’re here for the long run. There might be more in the future, but back to basics first. If there’s something brewing down the road, you aren’t going to know until you can see it, buy it, and fly it. I’m not dragging people along on multiyear marketing campaigns…the new available product will be the campaign.”
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