(Photos courtesy of Cv International)
CV International (CvI) is an innovative, solutions-based company headquartered in Bend that consistently develop custom products for the most unique problems their customers face.
CvI designs and builds custom aircraft maintenance stands, nitrogen generation products and aviation ground support devices. By providing specialized engineering and design capabilities, quality driven production processes and after-sales product support CvI is poised for continued growth in 2017.
CvI recently received a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) contract to design and manufacture KC-135 Aircraft Maintenance Stands. The project will run three to five years adding $6 million per year in additional corporate revenue.
“The stands will be manufactured in Bend and shipped around the world to U.S. Air National Guard and NATO Bases. This new contract will increase our force work from 25 to 30 Bend employees,” said Dan Warden, CEO of Cv International.
The Boeing KC-135 is a military refueling aircraft that has been used since the Vietnam War and is still in production.
CvI specializes in providing solutions to challenges in aviation, wind energy, hydro electric, and oil& gas sectors. Their products include nitrogen generators, contaminated fuel detectors, cryogenic samplers, aircraft maintenance stands and radar towers.
CvI is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business.Warden served in the U.S. Air Force for 30 years. He is a disabled veteran and started his career as an enlisted member climbing to officer rank of Lt Colonel before retiring in 2005. He estimates that about 35 percent of CvI employees are U.S. veterans.
Originally founded in 1981 by Robert Tatge, the company was built on a foundation of morals, integrity and a keen ability to invent niche products for a diverse market space according to Warden.
Tatge visualized product solutions from an end-user perspective to develop a company capable of designing, manufacturing, transporting, installing and servicing Nitrogen products, said Warden.
“We offer a turn-key full life cycle product and service. We build the devices, travel to the location to install and are available to service the product as well,” Warden said.
Tatge’s business model is alive and well at CvI where the company has now grown to offer more than 50 innovative solutions products.
“Robert always wanted to find solutions to problems,” Warden said. “He never told a customer what he could do to help them or what a customer needed. Instead, Robert always asked what the customer needed and did his best to find a solution.”
After Robert passed away the company moved its headquarters to Bend from Palos Verdes Estates, California. CvI preserves Robert’s legacy by focusing on providing innovative solutions for problems that customers experience every day.
In February 2010 the company moved into their current facility on Carmen Loop Road. The relocation coincided with the closing of Cessna’s Bend factory and hundreds of lost jobs. CvI hired several laid-off Central Oregonians and quickly found that the feasibility and workforce made Bend the perfect location to expand, said Warden.
“There’s a lot of very talented people in Bend. We always use local talent and suppliers first and only turn elsewhere for supplies and labor once we have exhausted local resources,” said Chris Hardy, account executive for Cv International.
In March 2015 CvI purchased a 14,000 square foot facility adjacent to their previous building which expanded their in-house manufacturing, product assembly and storage. The new building more than doubled the company’s operating space.
The expansion was the result of a successful 2014 with four contracts in support of the Lockheed Martin JSJ F-35 Program and CvI’s growth in sales of their nitrogen service products. In 2011 CvI was posting annual profits around $5 million. In 2017 Warden anticipates $14-15 million in profitability.
Lockheed Martin currently orders four to five Nitrogen Carts every month that are built and delivered by CvI. In May 2015 Lockheed Martin recognized CvI and 21 other small business suppliers nationally for their extraordinary contributions to products and services.
CvI has found success by providing quality made and customized solutions to meet the client’s needs. When wind turbine manufacturers expressed concerns about the safety of their technicians, CvI was prepared to develop a solution.
Technicians had to climb up to 300 feet while carrying a bulky 140 pound nitrogen storage tank to service the wind turbine nacelle accumulator. CvI designed a lightweight and durable Nitrogen Servicing Kit. Announced in October 2012, the Cv International Windpack line has improved the safety and productivity of wind turbine technicians.
“There are problems out there that exist and sometimes companies don’t even know what the solution is. But if the problem falls into one of our business sectors we are a company that will come up with a solution,” said Hardy.
CvI provides innovative conceptual design, manufacturing and installation of Aircraft Maintenance Stands. Most of CvI’s stands are custom projects to satisfy a specific need. A true testament to CvI’s commitment to quality is that they build their own jacks and platforms for stands in order to ensure a complete, safe and quality product.
CvI develops innovative ways to provide nitrogen where it is needed most. They design and manufacture nitrogen devices for filling tires, struts, and cargo door closures in aviation ground support. They offer a mobile air nitrogen charging station for charging accumulators in wind turbines. CvI offers nitrogen devices that commercial food processing uses to inject nitrogen into packaging applications.
CvI is confident in every device leaving their shop because the company makes and manufacturesevery unit from start to finish.
“The industry standard is a one year warranty on nitrogen products. We have a two year warranty that offers full parts and labor on all of our nitrogen products and a one-year warranty on our stands,” Warden said.
They also manufacture parts so that any replacements come directly from the manufacturer.
“We find that making our own parts helps us control quality, cost and delivery. Every product undergoes three quality control tests before receiving final approval from the client,” Warden says.
CvI is currently in development of a new mini-membrane driven nitrogen generator for industrial use. The new product will complement the larger Mobile Nitrogen Generators supporting the U.S. Military and Commercial Aviation Repair Centers and is expected to be available in 2017.
In a time when many companies are focused on outsourcing and cutting costs, CvI continues to create new and innovative products that support American industries and the local economy of Central Oregon. With the NATO contract they are poised for a strong 2017.
Location/Website: 20670 Carmen Loop, Bend, OR 97702, 310-328-8550, www.cvintl.com
CEO: Dan Warden
No. Employees: 25-30 full time employees.
Year Established: 1981
Product/Service: 50 innovative solutions ranging from nitrogen generators, contaminated fuel detection systems, cryogenic sampling kits, nitrogen servicing carts, jacking systems to custom designed aviation maintenance platforms.
Hot News: 2016 Cv International receives NATO Contract to design and manufacture KC-135 Aircraft Maintenance Stands.
Outlook for Growth: Steady sales growth with its custom aircraft maintenance platforms, nitrogen generation & servicing systems supporting the aviation, wind energy, oil drilling business sectors.
