Flight Simulator Business Booming For Broken Arrow Firm

By Scott Thompson, The News On 6

BROKEN ARROW, OK -- A Broken Arrow business is counting on a new building to bring in more jobs. AMI has been in the city for 28 years, but new ownership and government contracts mean the company is looking to grown.

The Texas-based company builds simulators for the country’s armed forces. Ronnie Collins has worked for L-3 AMI for 10 years.

“These are simulated handles, harness reel, green ring for the oxygen,” Collins said in a tour around the facility. 

“This is an F-18 cockpit,” said AMI General Manager Greg Campbell.

Every dial, gauge, and handle found inside a cockpit is made here. The company has a contract with the Air Force to build up to 80 F-16 cockpits over the next eight years.

“The important thing here is we add great deal of value to the Department of Defense in the War on Terror - and to the community as far as economic development,” Campbell said. 

Now AMI is celebrating a new 60,000 sq.-ft. facility, nearly twice as large as its old building. It gives the 105 employees here more room to work and, the company's president says, it's the first step to building a larger presence in Broken Arrow.

“The ability for AMI to grow was dependent on becoming more efficient and having the ability to expand,” said AIM President Bob Birmingham. 

Birmingham says the economy has not had much of an impact on their business and, thanks to this new building, they expect to increase the number of employees here by 12% by the end of next year.

"We have skill sets from machinists, up to electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, program managers - across the board, full functional operation here,” said Greg Campbell, AMI general manager.

 For employees like Ronnie Collins. there's pride in the job and pride in playing a role to keep our military in top condition.

“Our training is what makes them so good in the air because our cockpits are the highest quality fidelity that you can get on the market,” Collins said.

AMI's parent company has 66,000 employees worldwide and does more than $14 billion dollars in business every year. Company leaders say the Broken Arrow facility is on track this year for its best year in history.