“I am passionate about aviation,” states new Thommen CEO Stéphane Jaquier. I have always been active in aviation and to me it is both challenging and exciting.” Mr. Jaquier’s enthusiasm is driving a shift at the company and bringing a high powered focus to new opportunities. “Thommen has a legendary line of products but there is untapped potential, and that is a primary reason I joined the company.” By expanding its product range and its presence in emerging markets, the new CEO is confident of guiding Thommen Aircraft back to growth.
With a history based in precision Swiss timing, Thommen was a natural fit for the mergence of military aviation during the First World War. Early aviators needed reliable timepieces to navigate and Thommen began supplying military grade hardware in 1916.
As aircraft sophistication improved so did the need for other types of precision instruments and by 1936, Thommen expanded into the cockpit with advanced mechanical instruments. More recently the advent of advanced electronics and digitization had displaced the primacy of mechanical instrumentation. Nevertheless, there remains a role for mechanical instrumentation in even the most modern cockpits.
“Mechanical instruments are unaffected by power loss, spikes or surges,” explains Mr. Jaquier. “Our equipment is extremely reliable and serve as excellent backup systems. We know that cockpits are changing and that total revenues from mechanical instrumentation will decline over time. However the market will not disappear and we are well positioned because we know that our equipment is excellent and we are still a strong leader in this sector.”
When disruptive technologies undercut core competencies of a company it presents unique challenges. “With the decline of demand for mechanical instruments it was important that we identified a new niche,” says Mr. Jaquier. “We wanted to develop a new product and fill a key niche and we saw a great opportunity in exterior search lighting for helicopters.”
Use of high powered hard mounted lighting has ballooned in recent years as law enforcement agencies, particularly in the United States, have ramped up their use of helicopter patrolling. In addition to aerial law enforcement two other key markets for powerful search lighting are rescue operations and military applications. The advantages of mounted exterior lights that are quickly integrated into the electronics systems and require no scheduled maintenance are obvious to anyone familiar with airframe maintenance.
“Our clients are very happy with our lights,” states Mr. Jaquier. “Thommen lights are powerful structure mounted lights that can illuminate surfaces over significant distances. In February we had our HSL-1600 lighting system certified in Canada for use on multiple iterations of the Airbus AS 350 helicopter series for searchlight and camera interfacing. In June we participated in International Paris Air Show where we showcased our current line up as well as our newest prototype.”
“Mechanical instruments are unaffected by power loss, spikes or surges,” explains Mr. Jaquier. “Our equipment is extremely reliable and serve as excellent backup systems. We know that cockpits are changing and that total revenues from mechanical instrumentation will decline over time. However the market will not disappear and we are well positioned because we know that our equipment is excellent and we are still a strong leader in this sector.”
When disruptive technologies undercut core competencies of a company it presents unique challenges. “With the decline of demand for mechanical instruments it was important that we identified a new niche,” says Mr. Jaquier. “We wanted to develop a new product and fill a key niche and we saw a great opportunity in exterior search lighting for helicopters.”
Use of high powered hard mounted lighting has ballooned in recent years as law enforcement agencies, particularly in the United States, have ramped up their use of helicopter patrolling. In addition to aerial law enforcement two other key markets for powerful search lighting are rescue operations and military applications. The advantages of mounted exterior lights that are quickly integrated into the electronics systems and require no scheduled maintenance are obvious to anyone familiar with airframe maintenance.
“Our clients are very happy with our lights,” states Mr. Jaquier. “Thommen lights are powerful structure mounted lights that can illuminate surfaces over significant distances. In February we had our HSL-1600 lighting system certified in Canada for use on multiple iterations of the Airbus AS 350 helicopter series for searchlight and camera interfacing. In June we participated in International Paris Air Show where we showcased our current line up as well as our newest prototype.”
