Quest Aircraft

Quest Aircraft
Industry Aerospace
Headquarters Sandpoint, Idaho, United States
Key people
 CEO: Sam Hill
Products General aviation aircraft
Owner Setouchi Holdings (2015)[1]
Number of employees
 184 (2015)
Parent Tsuneishi Group
Website www.questaircraft.com
Quest Kodiak

Quest Aircraft Company is a Japanese-owned aircraft manufacturer located in Sandpoint, Idaho, United States. Quest was started in 2001 to design and provide aircraft suitable for domestic and international humanitarian applications.

In February 2015 the company was sold to Setouchi Holdings of Japan. Setouchi had been acting as a dealer for Quest and as a result of that relationship decided to purchase the company.[1][2]

Mission

The company was founded primarily for the purpose of creating an aircraft specifically suited for the humanitarian and mission field. Quest Aircraft also works with multiple not-for-profit groups that partner with the company as Quest Mission Team members. The company business model is especially unique: the profits earned by selling the Kodiak commercially are used to subsidize the manufacturing of approximately every tenth aircraft, which is then delivered to a participating not-for-profit organization.[3]

History

The earliest origins of Quest Aircraft can be traced back to 1998, when Idaho Air Group was founded by Tom Hamilton and David Voetmann. Tom and David saw a need to develop an aircraft uniquely suited to the rugged flying environment found in humanitarian aviation. After raising the necessary funding, the Quest Aircraft Company launched in 2001 with a staff of 14. After a 27,000 square foot facility was dedicated in 2002, work started on the first prototype aircraft, which led to the production of the Quest Kodiak turboprop.[4]

Paul Schaller became CEO of the company in 2004, and by 2009 the employment force was 340 people.[5]

Following a soft economy, in 2010 the workforce was reduced to 155 employees, but 2011 saw a fresh infusion of capital and a change in executive leadership as Schaller migrated to a consulting role in the company.[6]

Sam Hill is the present CEO of Quest Aircraft, joining the company in 2012 after previous experience at Embraer Aircraft Corporation and Honda Aircraft Company.[7]

In February 2015 the company was purchased by Setouchi Holdings, part of the Tsuneishi Group of Japan.[1][2]

Products

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Turboprop builder Quest Aircraft sold to Japanese group". Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 "New Ownership For Quest Aircraft". AVweb. 17 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Mission and History". Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  4. ↑ "Company Overview". Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  5. ↑ Namowitz, Dan (2011-06-10). "Quest Aircraft CEO to Depart; Other Changes Announced". AOPA - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  6. ↑ "Changes: Quest Aircraft Shifts Management, Shows Progress". Aero-News Network. 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  7. ↑ "Management Team". Retrieved 22 February 2014.
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