Alva Review-Courier -

Vantage Associates Inc. of Alva was recognized this week as a Partner In Progress with Northwest Technology Center (NWTC) by the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education. NWTC and Vantage have worked together to increase employee safety and efficiency in the Alva facility for the past 20 years. According to Charlotte Hadwiger, Business and Industry Services director at NWTC, Alva Campus, "Vantage is a wonderful community partner, in addition to being a great education and training partner with Northwest Technology Center."

Northwest Technology Center provides monthly safety training for the employees at Vantage, as well as annual audiometric testing and respirator fit testing. Other training topics completed by the employees of Vantage Associates include forklift training, leadership training and human resources training.

Employees with Vantage Associates take time to provide guided tours each summer to area eighth graders participating in the Northwest Career Academy, which is coordinated by Northwest Technology Center. Employees take the time to answer the questions of the students and demonstrate the possibilities of having an international business in rural Oklahoma. Vantage has also opened their facility to the CareerTech Safety Group for tours and question and answer sessions. Vantage consistently participates in area career fairs/job fairs sponsored by Northwest Technology Center.

Management personnel at Vantage are also a part of Northwest Technology Center's Executive Business Council and have served as founding members of the organization. Vantage employees are also members of the Business and Industry Services Advisory Committee at Northwest Technology Center and provide important feedback on training and services provided by Northwest Technology Center.

Vantage Associates of Alva, Oklahoma, was originally founded as Plane Plastics producing aftermarket parts for the aviation industry in the early 1990's. Plane Plastics was sold to Vantage Associates in the early 2000's. Vantage is headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, California. The Alva location is one of the anchor businesses located at the Alva Airport and is the world's largest supplier of FAA approved aftermarket interior plastics for general aviation aircraft. The Alva facility can produce over 3000 FAA/PMA approved aftermarket airplane interior parts. The business manufactures and stocks a growing variety of products for general aviation.

Vantage is a 100% employee owned company. Employees participate in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Employees at Vantage believe their role is to work together to provide customers the best service they can. They strive to provide the highest, consistent quality and delivery with impeccable customer service on every order. The company's values best illustrate how they work together to make this happen. These include transparency, trust, honesty, respect and teamwork.

Vantage Associates utilizes its website to sell aftermarket aviation parts and ship them throughout the world to as many countries. Vantage Associates, Inc. also makes new aircraft interior parts for customers including Cessna. They also have contracts with the defense, government, and select industrial clients.