Tucked away along Old 56 Highway near Harrison Street sits an unassuming, somewhat large building that’s supplying the world with something many of us don’t think about much, if ever, really.
The appropriately named, Global Ground Support, has been headquartered in Olathe for the past 25 years and has become the world’s second-largest aircraft deicer truck manufacturer, supplying deicers across the national and around the globe.
Global builds three different types of deicers, but the crown jewel is their G-2875ER extended reach that features a 95-foot spray radius and has the longest side reach and highest cab/nozzle heights of any mobile deicer in the world. The cab extends up to 72 feet from the truck that is designed specifically for the Aurbus A-380, one of the largest planes in the world.
It’s more than just providing ground support equipment for commercial use, though. For the past 25 years, Global has proudly served as the exclusive provider of deicers for the U. S. Air Force. Global has delivered more than 600 military-grade deicers in the last two-plus decades.
There are 50 employees at Global and they pride themselves on quality craftsmanship and locally sourced material.
“Seventy percent of our supplier base is within 60 miles of here,” Melissa Shriver, VP of Business Operations for Global, said at a product showcase event this week. “We’re very proud of that.”
Global’s latest development is a Glycol Transfer Vehicle (GTV). The GTV delivers and stores deicing fluids at the deicing pads, decreasing the downtime of the deicers having to drive up to 30 minutes to fill locations.
“This really helps does change the game for those that have to travel up to 30 minutes to refill,” said Marshall Keith, Director of Operations for Global.
They are putting the final touches on the first truck that is set to go out the door later this summer.
The refueling truck is just the latest in helping to diversify Global’s offering. Not only do they provide deicers all over the world, they also provide additional ground support vehicles nationally and internationally. The Global hi-lift catering trucks deliver food and beverages to airplanes.
Whether it’s keeping commercial jets across the world safe to fly in the winter months, keeping airlines fully-equipped and ready to serve or keeping the aircraft that protect our country safe, Global is making an impact – from right here in Olathe.
