Category Archives: Uncategorized

EAA Venture, OshKosh Aviation Airshow

AAA USA Connects with the Aviation Industry at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Our Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Perry Rucker, attended EAA AirVenture Oshkosh this past week, representing AAA USA at one of the aviation industry’s most recognized events.

“It was a pleasure representing AAA USA while reconnecting with customers, longtime friends, and colleagues from across the aviation industry,” Rucker said.

One of the highlights of the event was spending time with AAA USA’s sister company, Daher Aviation, and learning more about its TBM and Kodiak aircraft. Rucker also had the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from Daher Industrial Services and Daher Logistics. He noted that their hospitality was amazing.

Throughout the show, AAA USA connected with existing customers, renewed relationships with longtime general aviation contacts, and continued conversations about the workforce needs shaping aerospace manufacturing and production.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh also offered an impressive look at the history and future of flight, with historic aircraft, modern aviation technology, and U.S. military aviation on display.

“The event was a great reminder of aviation’s rich history and the innovation that continues to shape its future,” Rucker said. “Thank you to everyone who took the time to connect. We look forward to continuing those conversations.”

AAA USA supports aerospace companies with skilled workforce solutions across aerospace manufacturing assembly, aircraft maintenance, avionics, cabin installation, quality, engineering, production support, project management, and surge workforce needs.

Photo collage with AAA logo and Department of War’s Level II Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Badge

AAA USA strengthens its capabilities for the U.S. defense industrial base with CMMC cybersecurity certification

Mobile, Alabama, July 22, 2026 – AAA USA, Inc., has enhanced its services offer for the U.S. defense industrial base with successful qualification and C3PAO audit for the Department of War’s Level II Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).

This marks another milestone in AAA USA’s strategy to strengthen its engineering, manufacturing, and technical services by meeting the rigorous cybersecurity requirements for companies and organizations supporting U.S. government and defense programs.

In implementing the cybersecurity controls required under the CMMC Level II, AAA USA is positioned to securely manage sensitive government information and pursue new opportunities with the Department of War, federal agencies and contractors.

“The achievement is much more than a certification: it reinforces our position in supporting critical defense and government programs,” said Perry C. Rucker, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of AAA USA. “Our investment in secure operations reflects AAA USA’s commitment to delivering engineering, manufacturing and workforce solutions that strengthen the nation’s industrial base while protecting the sensitive information entrusted to us.”

Building on its established expertise across the aerospace, defense, ground transportation and marine sectors, AAA USA is well positioned to expand its support for defense customers with assembly, integration, maintenance and sustainment services.

CMMC Level II certification enables the company to pursue business opportunities as a subcontractor to defense companies of all sizes, and as a prime contractor for qualifying government programs.

Headquartered in Mobile, Alabama, AAA USA delivers end-to-end capabilities spanning the complete product lifecycle – from engineering and industrialization through manufacturing, testing, quality assurance and aftermarket support. The company’s highly skilled workforce and nationwide operational footprint enable AAA to respond quickly and efficiently to evolving requirements.

“Our clients need partners that combine technical expertise with speed, flexibility and operational excellence,” Rucker added. “The CMMC Level II certification underscores our ability to provide secure engineering and manufacturing capabilities while supporting complex programs throughout their entire lifecycle. “Whether teaming with defense companies or directly working with government customers, AAA USA is ready to deliver the quality, responsiveness and agility required for mission success.”

With 350-400 employees operating across 28 cities in 19 states, AAA USA continues to invest in the people, capabilities and infrastructure to support the aerospace, defense, ground transportation and marine markets. The company is a joint venture of DRAKKAR Group and the Daher Group.

About AAA USA, Inc.
As a leading provider of technical workforce solutions, design and production engineering services and contract assembly, AAA USA sets industry standards in aerospace, ground transportation and defense sectors across the United States. Committed to innovation, quality and efficiency, the company enhances customers’ operational performance at the service of major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and Tier 1 suppliers. As it expands, AAA USA remains dedicated to excellence, sustainability, and strong industry partnerships.

About the DRAKKAR Group
As a recognized A220 MRO Center of Excellence, 3PL Logistics specialists and manufacturing services provider, Drakkar Group employs a talented workforce of more than 2,500 people supporting its clients across the United States and Canada. For more than thirty years now, Drakkar supports its important customers in three main markets including aerospace, defense and ground transportation.

About Daher
As an aircraft manufacturer, industrial company, industrial services provider, and logistics specialist, Daher currently employs 14,500 people, with a revenue of €1.9 billion in 2025. Backed by its family ownership, Daher has been innovation-driven since its founding in 1863. With operations in approximately 15 countries across Europe, North America and Asia, Daher designs and develops value-added solutions for its aerospace and industrial customers and partners.

Media contact:
Jeffrey Lenorovitz
Daher Vice President – Communications
e-mail: [email protected]
U.S. mobile: +1 703 615-3646
Int’l mobile: +33 (0)6 80 85 86 25

 

Scholarship Recipients with overlay text for Wings of Opportunity and AAA logo

AAA USA Awards Wings of Opportunity Scholarships to Saraland High School Students

AAA USA is proud to award its Wings of Opportunity Scholarships to two Saraland High School students pursuing careers in aviation and aerospace.

This year’s recipients, Brodie Smith and Dax Spradlin, each received a $5,000 scholarship to support their next step after graduation.

Brodie Smith plans to attend Coastal Alabama Community College to earn his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license, preparing him for a hands-on career in aircraft maintenance. Dax Spradlin plans to attend the University of South Alabama to pursue a degree in aeronautical engineering.

The Wings of Opportunity Scholarship reflects AAA USA’s continued partnership with Saraland High School and its commitment to supporting students interested in aviation, engineering, manufacturing, and skilled trades. Through scholarships, mentorship, workforce development efforts, and hands-on learning opportunities, AAA USA is helping connect students with real career pathways across the Gulf Coast.

AAA USA congratulates Brodie and Dax on this achievement and looks forward to seeing where their hard work and ambition take them next.

Students at Saraland

AAA USA Connects with Students at Saraland High School CTE Advisory Meeting

AAA USA joined industry and education leaders at Saraland High School for the Saraland High School Campus Expansion Open House & CTE Advisory Meeting, reinforcing its ongoing commitment to workforce development.

Perry Rucker, Vice President and COO, Sarah Kyser, Senior Director of Human Resources and Talent Acquisition, and Andre McCoo, Workforce Development Specialist, represented AAA USA at the event.

The team met directly with students to discuss career pathways and the hands-on training programs available through the school’s partnership with Coastal Alabama Community College. They also toured the school’s new facility expansion, which includes upgraded learning spaces designed to support technical education and workforce readiness.

A key moment of the visit included time spent in the aviation program, where students are training with the aircraft donated by AAA USA. The program continues to serve as a direct pipeline for students pursuing careers in aviation and skilled trades.

AAA USA remains an active partner with Saraland High School, supporting students through workforce initiatives, hands-on training opportunities, and scholarship programs like the Wings of Opportunity Scholarship.

By staying engaged at the classroom level, AAA USA continues to invest in the next generation of skilled workers—helping ensure students are prepared to enter the workforce with confidence.

 

USA Wins National Award

AAA USA Wins National Award for Excellence in Safety

Mobile, Alabama – AAA USA, Inc announces it has been awarded a 2024 AEU Safety Award for the company’s strong commitment to safety in the workplace.

The American Equity Underwriters, Inc., the leading provider of workers’ compensation for waterfront employers, presents the AEU Safety Awards each year to its best performing members nationwide. 

“The AEU award is a testament to AAA USA’s unwavering commitment to a culture of safety,” Perry C. Rucker, AAA USA’s Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. “Protecting our employees is the most important thing we do, and this recognition underscores the dedication of every team member to upholding the highest standards of workplace safety and accountability.”

Eligibility for the awards is based on the frequency and severity of workers’ compensation incidents for the prior calendar year, as well as safety-related metrics determined by AEU’s loss control team. 

“This year’s winners truly are the safest in the industry,” said Jimmy Burgin, senior vice president and director of loss control at AEU. “The commitment of their management teams, supervisors, safety staff, and employees all combine to create safety programs that are worthy of this recognition.”

About AAA USA, INC. www.aaa-usainc.com

As a leading provider of technical workforce solutions, production engineering services and contract assembly, AAA USA sets industry standards in aerospace, ground transportation, defense and industrial sectors across the United States. Committed to innovation, quality, and efficiency, the company enhances customers’ operational performance at the service of major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and Tier 1 suppliers. As it expands, AAA USA remains dedicated to excellence, sustainability, and strong industry partnerships.

Maritime

AAA USA attends the 2025 Paris Airshow

AAA USA was proud to have attended the 2025 Paris Airshow alongside our sister companies Drakkar and Daher Industrial Services!

Throughout the week, we met with valued existing partners and connected with new customers, reinforcing our commitment to delivering top-tier aerospace workforce solutions, project management solutions and industrial services.

Together, we showcased how collaboration drives smarter, faster, and more efficient workforce development and production solutions for aviation.

AAA USA Awards Wings

AAA USA Awards “Wings of Opportunity” Scholarships to Saraland High School Students

As part of its ongoing commitment to workforce development and education in Mobile, Alabama, AAA USA is proud to announce the recipients of its first-ever Wings of Opportunity scholarship. Five outstanding students from Saraland High School have each been awarded a $2,000 scholarship to pursue careers in aviation.

2025 Scholarship Recipients:

  • Joseph Abercrombie
  • Aiden Campell
  • Dominic Cruit
  • Gavin Pugh
  • Franklin Schaffer

These students will be continuing their journey at Coastal Alabama’s Aviation Maintenance Technology (A&P) Program, preparing them for careers in the high-demand aerospace sector.

Investing in the Future of Aviation

The Wings of Opportunity scholarship is more than financial assistance—it’s a cornerstone of AAA USA’s vision, and their mission to foster the next generation of professionals. By supporting local students, AAA USA is helping to build a strong pipeline of skilled talent for the aviation and aerospace industries right here in the Gulf Coast region.

A Legacy of Learning: PA-28 Aircraft Donation

In addition to the scholarship program, AAA USA recently donated a full-scale PA-28 maintenance training aircraft to Saraland High School. This aircraft is now a centerpiece of the school’s airframe technology program, providing students with rare, hands-on training in aircraft construction and operation.

This donation—combined with AAA USA’s investment in a new aviation training center in Mobile—underscores the company’s dedication to workforce development in the area and beyond. Saraland High School students contributed to the new training center’s launch by designing and installing a custom wall wrap inside the facility. This project gave students a chance to apply both creative and technical skills in a real-world setting, further reinforcing the hands-on educational approach championed by both the school and AAA USA. Their work now serves as a lasting visual centerpiece in the training center—one that celebrates community collaboration and student-driven innovation.

Looking Ahead

AAA USA’s support for Saraland High School is just the beginning. With the launch of the Wings of Opportunity scholarship and the continued expansion of its training facilities, AAA USA is positioning Mobile as a leader in aviation education and job creation.

Stay tuned for updates, student success stories, and more ways AAA USA is helping lift the next generation of aviation talent.

Aviation training center with students

AAA USA, Inc. opens its new state-of-the art training and operations facility in Mobile, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama, May 8, 2025 – AAA USA, Inc., a joint venture of DRAKKAR and the Daher Group, has inaugurated its new state-of-the-art facility in Mobile, Alabama to provide high quality entry-level and advanced-level training for customers and the community in the aerospace, ground transportation, industrial, marine and defense sectors.

This center also boosts AAA USA’s contract labor services (CLS) capacity for its clients, in which the company provides surge workforce and contingent workforce resources for product assembly, quality and engineering projects, along with overall project management and other services.

“Our new facility’s strategic location on the U.S. Central Gulf Coast is perfectly located to serve the industrial sectors in this region, and beyond,” said Perry C. Rucker, AAA USA’s Vice President & Chief Operating Officer. “It’s resources and capacity enable a significant increase of throughput to support our customers’ manpower, workforce and production needs, while also positioning us to meet new requirements in the evolving marketplace.”

Incorporated in the AAA USA site are labs for electrical, structural, mechanical, quality and engineering training, along with a large area for theoretical classes. This is supplemented by an operations center that provides a major expansion of the company’s contract assembly services in response to customers’ current and future needs.

For training services, the new facility enables AAA USA to broaden its ongoing work with experienced technical labor, assisting current employees at the customers and within the company to further their careers, as well as to reinforce the capabilities for those at the entry-level or with limited on-the-job experience.

“There’s a huge gap in the American workforce today, which impacts our clients’ capabilities to meet their production targets and to attain the needed levels of quality,” Rucker added. “Our total value proposition is bringing in and training the new workforce – whether it comes from schools, from different sectors of industry, or from other sources.”

AAA USA chose to repurpose an existing building in south Mobile for its new facility, contributing to the area’s revitalization. As part of its community relationships, the company works closely with schools throughout the region, building relationships with the University of South Alabama, Bishop State Community College, Coastal Alabama Community College, among other entities.

About AAA USA, INC. www.AAA-USAInc.com

As a leading provider of technical workforce solutions, production engineering services and contract assembly, AAA USA sets industry standards in aerospace, ground transportation, defense and industrial sectors across the United States. Committed to innovation, quality, and efficiency, the company enhances customers’ operational performance at the service of major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and Tier 1 suppliers. As it expands, AAA USA remains dedicated to excellence, sustainability, and strong industry partnerships.

About the DRAKKAR Group (https://drakkar.com/en)

DRAKKAR Group, in business for more than 30 years and employing approximately 2,800 people, groups together 13 affiliate companies specializing in four lines of service, including MRO & Interior Solutions, Logistics & Supply Chain, Industrial & Manufacturing, as well as Technology & MarCom in Canada, the United States and France.

About Daher – www.daher.com

As an aircraft manufacturer, industrialist, industrial service provider and logistician, Daher today has approximately 14,000 employees for a revenue of 1.8 billion euros in 2024. With its family ownership, Daher has been focused on innovation since its creation in 1863. With locations in some 15 countries in Europe, North America and Asia, Daher designs and develops value-added solutions for its aeronautical and industrial customers and partners.

Media contact:
Jeffrey Lenorovitz
Daher Vice President – Communications
U.S. mobile: +1 703 615-3646
Int’l mobile: +33 (0)6 80 85 86 25
e-mail: [email protected]

Check donation at Saraland High School

AAA USA Donates Maintenance Training Aircraft to Saraland High School, Expanding Hands-On Aviation Training

Donation strengthens AAA USA’s commitment to supporting students pursuing aviation careers

Mobile, Alabama, March 20, 2025 – AAA USA, a joint venture of DRAKKAR and Daher and a leading aerospace, industrial, and ground transportation service company based in Mobile, Alabama, donates a full-scale maintenance training aircraft to Saraland High School to support its aviation program.

The donation, a retired Piper PA-28 general aviation aircraft, provides Saraland High School students with hands-on experience, allowing them to work directly on an actual airframe. This opportunity bridges the gap between classroom instruction and industry demands, preparing students for careers in aviation maintenance and related fields.

“As the aerospace industry thrives along the U.S. Central Gulf Coast—especially in Mobile—AAA USA remains committed to the local community through job creation, economic development, and education,” says Perry C. Rucker, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of AAA USA. “By investing in workforce development and partnering with Saraland High School and Coastal Alabama Community College, we aim to highlight the career opportunities available to students after graduation.”

Saraland High School, located just north of AAA USA’s headquarters in Mobile, offers an Airframe Technology program that educates students on aircraft construction and operation. This program opens career paths for students interested in becoming aircraft mechanics, technicians, and other industry professionals.

“At Saraland High School, we look at the careers and high-wage industries around our area and try to mimic that with what we teach and provide our students in the classroom,” says Brent Harrison – Superintendent at Saraland City Schools.

AAA USA and Saraland High School host a dedication ceremony today to mark the donation.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have this opportunity to partner with AAA USA, specifically to have a piece of machinery like the functioning airplane for the students to be able to physically put their hands on day in and day out, and it’s something that I feel like a lot of high school students do not have that opportunity,” says Scott Croley, Principal of Saraland High School.

In addition to donating the aircraft, AAA USA launches the “Wings of Opportunity” aviation scholarship for Saraland High School students. This initiative further supports the next generation of aerospace professionals. The scholarship is awarded annually, with applications available through Saraland High School. This year’s awards ceremony takes place on May 13 at 6:00 p.m. (Central Time) at the school’s campus.

ABOUT AAA USA, INC. (www.AAA-USAInc.com)

As a leading provider of technical workforce solutions, production engineering services and contract assembly, AAA USA, sets industry standards in aerospace, ground transportation, defense and industrial sectors across the U.S.

Committed to innovation, quality, and efficiency, the company enhances customers’ operational performance at the service of major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and Tier 1 suppliers. AAA Group employs over 1,300 professionals across the Americas. As part of the Daher Services Group and the DRAKKAR Group of affiliates, AAA USA plays a vital role in delivering innovative and efficient industry solutions.

ABOUT DAHER (www.daher.com)

As an aircraft manufacturer, industrialist, industrial service provider and logistician, Daher today has approximately 14,000 employees for a revenue of 1.8 billion euros in 2024. With its family ownership, Daher has been focused on innovation since its creation in 1863. With locations in some 15 countries in Europe, North America and Asia, Daher designs and develops value-added solutions for its aeronautical and industrial customers and partners.

ABOUT DRAKKAR (https://drakkar.com/en)

DRAKKAR Group, in business for more than 30 years and employing approximately 2,800 people, groups together 13 affiliate companies specializing in four lines of service, including MRO & Interior Solutions, Logistics & Supply Chain, Industrial & Manufacturing, as well as Technology & MarCom in Canada, the United States and France.

Work truck at industry event

AAA USA is Headed to Work Truck Week

Connect with us at Work Truck Week in Indianapolis, IN, March 4-7, 2025

AAA USA is excited to announce that we will be attending Work Truck Week, one of the largest and most influential ground transportation trade shows. With over 500 exhibiting companies, Work Truck Week offers unparalleled opportunities to get hands-on with the latest products, hear directly from chassis OEMs and upfitters, and discover strategies to improve operations and optimize commercial vehicle design. It’s also a prime setting to meet with current and prospective customers, suppliers, and business partners, uncover new business opportunities, and collaborate with management, product, and engineering teams to stay competitive in the evolving market.

Connect with our sales team to learn how we can help accelerate your assembly line with our workforce solutions built for your work trucks. We would love to meet you. Reach out to set up a meeting during Work Truck Week.

Alex Hagel
Regional Sales Manager
[email protected]

Perry Rucker
Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
[email protected]