With his wife, Barbara Abrams, beside him, he began subcontracting work out of his garage in Tucson. In 1965, with the help of a local businessman, Bud formed Abrams Airborne Manufacturing, Inc. and moved the operation to a small plant at 3735 North Romero Road.
Bud was a dynamic business man, developing relationships with companies such as Motorola, Space Date and Hughes Aircraft Co., as he was able to provide on-the-spot quoting and insight for customer drawings. In seven short years of business, Bud had grown the business to gross sales of $1 million with 48 employees and processes such as electro-plating, precision sheetmetal machining, painting, assembly and silkscreen. In June of 1970, Abrams Airborne was honored by Hughes Aircraft Company as one of eleven for their supplier excellence.
Bud’s dream was to build a business that could include his whole family. He was joined in the business by his son, Gary Abrams who now functions as the President of the company, his nephew, Christopher Abrams who is the acting Vice President of Operations, and his daughter, Jenny Abrams Wilson who is the Vice President of Finance and Administration. Bud’s wife, Barbara, worked as the Secretary/Treasurer and now functions as the Chairwoman of the Board. Third generation family members also work in the business. In 1991, the company was named as Arizona’s Family Business of the Year.
In 1996, Bud handed the reins of AAMI over to his son, Gary Abrams, to functions as President of the company. With Bud’s vision and the strong foundation of the company behind him, Gary continued to grow the business into many new markets. The company soon grossed $6-$8 million in sales, reached 100+ employees and added an additional 50,000+ square feet of space. Over the decades, Abrams Airborne was also able to largely diversify not only their customer base, but also their capabilities to include specialty processes such as aluminum dip brazing. It was an important feature to the Abrams family to be able to provide their customers with a “one-stop-shop” that would ensure the highest quality for all their needs.
Through the decades, Abrams Airborne Manufacturing, Inc. and its related businesses have grown to become valued subcontractors for the aerospace, defense, medical, commercial, and weapons industries. AAMI is honored to have its weapon systems in the hands of United States military forces, orbiting the planet on the International Space Station Alpha, and in computer chassis supporting our world’s growing technological advances.
Specializing in precision sheetmetal fabrication, CNC machining, aluminum dip brazing, and other related processes, Abrams Airborne has prided itself on providing an environment that may service the many needs of each of their customers. The facility now spans over 150,000 square feet with over two hundred employees, working in twenty-six different departments. In order to continue to provide the optimal “one stop shop”, the company is committed to the continued growth of its operations and capabilities.
Our family and founder's past is a crucial part of our business. It is the core of our business and who we are as business owners. We appreciate you taking the time to learn about our company and hope that we can provide you with the services or products you need.
- Abrams Airborne Management
