Sonico Hosts Senior Congressman

Hosting visits for elected is one of the best ways to equip lawmakers with a better understanding of our industry and to establish the real world consequences of congressional actions.

On June 12, Sonico, Inc., welcomed Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA) to its Moses Lake, Washington site. Hastings was given a tour and met with W.B. (Bill) and Jim Perdue, Sonico’s president and vice president. Bill is the President of the industry’s risk retention group (AAIRRG) and Jim serves on ARSA’s board of directors.

Company executives and the Congressman discussed the negative impact of the FAA reauthorization bill. Additionally, Hastings was briefed on the aviation maintenance industry’s large economic footprint in Washington using ARSA’s state-by-state economic data.

During the visit, Rep. Hastings committed to urge House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member John Mica (R-FL) to stand strong against efforts onCapitol Hill that will have severe implications for the aviation maintenance industry. Hastings and his staff also expressed surprise at the size and scope of Sonico’s operations, further demonstrating the importance of congressional facility visits.

Sonico’s efforts to promote the impact of our industry and get involved with the legislative process are commendable. Site visits such as these reinforce ARSA’s Positive Publicity Campaign and drive home the value of aviation maintenance for policymakers.

For assistance in setting up a facility visit, contact ARSA’s Vice President of Legislative Affairs Daniel Fisher or click here and follow these instructions:

1. Save the pre-written Word document as a file on your computer.

2. Complete the pertinent details of the letter (which are in bold) (Find the name, address, and fax number of your senators by typing in your zip code here.)

3. Place the message on your company’s letterhead.

4. Fax the letter to your lawmakers’ offices.

5. Scan a copy and send it to Daniel.Fisher@arsa.org so we can follow up. Be sure to put "Facility Visit" in the subject line of the email.

6. If you haven’t heard back from your Senators/Representative’s after a week, place a call to the office, request to speak with the Scheduler, and repeat your request.