Operating in 57 locations across the globe with more than 14,000 employees, Triumph Group specializes in designing, manufacturing, repairing and overhauling a vast assortment of different aviation and industrial components. The company is well known for its involvement in almost the entire spectrum of the aviation industry, including commercial, regional, military, and air cargo carriers. With a focus upon delivering quality service and bespoke customer solutions, Triumph Group prides itself on being able to deliver products and services that can solve even the most difficult problems.

Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania in the USA, Triumph has been a leading player in the aerospace design, engineering, and manufacturing sector since it was first founded in 1993. In the 2018 fiscal year, for example, Triumph Group’s revenue was measured at approximately 3.2 billion USD, a strong indicator of its operational performance and longstanding customer relationships.

Triumph’s transformation

In an effort to sharpen its strategic outlook, Triumph has recently embarked on a company-wide transformation initiative that is referred to as “One Triumph”, which is aimed at setting the direction of the company for the next 25 years. It was borne out of the recognition that to remain competitive in the current global business environment. As such, Triumph will move pass its legacy and focus on four key areas of development: supplying and offering services for next-generation aircraft; collaborating to design solutions; innovating new technology for both its products and the company’s manufacturing process, and providing full life-cycle support for all its products.

Why Thailand?

Thailand is home to a thriving aviation and aerospace industry. The country is strategically located in the heart of Southeast Asia – one of the world’s most exciting markets. Though the MRO industry is relatively new to Thailand, highly competent existing industries such as automotive and electronics can serve as bases for further development into the aviation-related manufacturing. The Thai government has a clear policy direction regarding investment, which creates a foreigner-friendly business environment and, in particular, the BOI offers ample of fiscal and institutional support that are integral to Triumph’s growth in Thailand, as well as the region.

Since commencing operations in Thailand in 2005, Triumph has continued to push the boundaries in pioneering the Thai aerospace industry. For Triumph, Chonburi and Rayong play home to its two Thai, and in fact only Asian, operations. Interestingly, the Chonburi facility, which was opened in 2006, is to this day considered to be one of Triumph’s most efficient maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in the world. By setting up our operation in Thailand, Triumph can effectively serve airlines in the entire Southeast Asian region.

A focus on skills development and talent retention

With Thailand’s MRO industry growing year-on-year, Triumph is cognizant of the need for there to be a constant stream of well-educated, passionate, and highly skilled individuals entering the sector. Mr. Matthias Malina notes that “one of the biggest challenges for companies in this field is finding people with experience.” He added that “if you work on safety critical parts for aircraft like us, you want to be sure that you have high quality, reliable and experienced staff.”

In order to attract the desired talent to help grow its Thailand-based operations, Triumph offers structured internships for interested students. This program provides an opportunity for students to acquire on-the-job training and experience that will hopefully kick-start their careers. Building upon students’ theoretical knowledge, the internship program also provides an opportunity for students to develop supplementary skills such as communication and leadership.

To ensure that the industry continues to grow, greater emphasis must also be placed upon dual education partnerships between MRO companies and educational institutions, which would allow MRO companies to have access to a highly-skilled and workforce-ready group of individuals.