RCL Components

RCL Components remanufactures ground support equipment, often called GSE. This is the machinery that serves aircraft on the ground. The company rebuilds items such as loaders and pushback tractors. A pushback tractor moves an aircraft away from its gate. RCL says it is the only aviation company in the United States that does true zero-time remanufacturing.

RCL was founded privately in 1988. The head office is in Bogart, Georgia. The rebuilding work takes place at a 70,000 square foot facility in Hernando, Mississippi. That site is about twenty miles south of Memphis International Airport.

Zero-time means the machine is stripped to its core and built up again. RCL strips each unit to the bare frame and media blasts it. It then rebuilds the unit from the ground up. The work includes an all-new electric or diesel power plant, complete electrical systems and an improved hydraulic system. The company says the result can exceed the original maker's standards.

RCL states that its customers include major American airlines, overnight delivery services and the United States military. It says its units cost up to 50 percent less than new equipment. It also says the units are built so they can be remanufactured again for another full service life.

The company backs its work with warranties. It lists a two-year warranty on remanufactured equipment and a four-year warranty on its lithium-ion batteries. RCL follows a quality system based on ISO 9001 principles. It says it held ISO 9001:2008 certification in the past. Each unit passes multi-stage inspections, and any problems are fixed before the unit is finished.

RCL also stresses uptime, which means how long equipment stays ready for work. A field service team responds to problems at customer sites. The company offers parts and service support for the equipment it rebuilds. It adds that remanufacturing saves raw materials and energy. Its lithium-ion platform removes greenhouse gas emissions from the customer's own equipment.

The website has pages on the company, the remanufacturing process, quality and warranties. It also has a contact form for questions about remanufactured equipment, parts and service.