Morgan Gresens, vice president and general manager of Textron GSE, tells Airside that “when our customers define their strategic and technological path forward, we will have products, services, technologies and solutions ready to serve their needs”
Morgan, you’ve been with Textron Specialized Vehicles for more than 10 years now. How have you found your first year leading Textron GSE as vice president and general manager?
I’ve had an eventful and exciting first year as vice president and general manager for Textron GSE. I’ve enjoyed learning this industry, meeting our customers worldwide and being a part of exciting new opportunities for our business, such as the recent launch of our newest product, the Premier TT4000 Tanker Truck.
What have been the highlights for Textron GSE over the last year?
Textron GSE enjoyed a solid 2024. We were able to grow our business and build our relationships with key customers worldwide, and we continued our electrification journey with products like the TUG 660 Li belt loader, which uses a Samsung SDI lithium-battery solution to provide customers with a proven, efficient, zero-emission electric drivetrain that’s backed by millions of hours of real-world performance in other Textron Specialized Vehicles product lines.
We’ve also recently launched the Safeaero 220 E with Intellimix, which electrifies our industry-leading, innovative Safeaero 220. We’ve also continued to advance and improve our existing product lines – expanding the offering in our air start products with the addition of a 330 PPM option and offering more features on our tractors to meet customer expectations.
As Textron GSE moves into the second quarter of the year, how do you evaluate the company’s start to 2025?
2025 is off to a strong start for Textron GSE. We’ve seen great order activity across the product portfolio. We also continue to invest in new products, such as our new Premier TT4000 Tanker Truck, which minimises de-icer downtime on the ramp and reduces operating costs by providing the ability to quickly refill de-icers on the ramp.
What are your expectations for 2025 in terms of business?
We are cautiously optimistic about 2025. Obviously, there is a lot of uncertainty in the global economy that is affecting the global aviation industry, and we are watching that closely. But to date, we see a healthy segment and one where we are poised to continue to grow our business.
What can we expect to hear with regard to any news or developments at Textron GSE this year?
We’re working to remain in close contact and consultation with our customers about their business needs and how they are responding to economic and industry conditions. Those relationships have already generated new product launches like the Premier TT4000 Tank Truck and the Safeaero 220E de-icer, and we’re in development of other new products, across all of our product lines, to address the wants and needs that our customers have shared with us.
What do you identify as the biggest GSE trends today – and how is Textron GSE working to meet the needs of your customers in this respect?
Safety, efficiency and sustainability continue to be the drivers of the GSE business. Our customers are demanding products that enable them to keep their workers, customers and assets safe; that reduce their labour, operating, maintenance and overhead costs; that enhance productivity; and that reduce their environmental footprint. At Textron GSE, all of our initiatives to develop new products and solutions for our customers are built on these pillars.
Do you think the GSE market is evolving or changing – and if so, how?
The GSE segment is evolving, and likely always will be, given the ever-changing travel patterns around the globe, advancements in technology, and the industry’s need to rapidly react to economic conditions, environmental factors, and other drivers of change. It’s incumbent upon us as a GSE manufacturer to be aware and knowledgeable of these trends so that we can identify solutions and tailor them to the specific needs of our customers, which often vary not just from customer to customer, but from airport to airport and country to country.
How different do you think the industry will be in five years’ time in 2030, taking into account the acceleration of the electrification trend, automation and other advancements?
It’s a given that the technology in the GSE space will continue to evolve rapidly. AI, electrification, automation and other advances will transform the way that airports operate and how our customers manage their operations and drive efficiency in their business.
Those advances will have impacts throughout our customers’ operations, from the tarmac to the gate to the flight experience. At Textron GSE, we’re investing in R&D, product development and technology to be ready for the coming transformation. We also recognise that our customers have made significant capital investments in their fleets and those assets need to be considered when it comes to new technological advancements as well.
How will Textron GSE evolve or adapt with the market in line with these changes? What’s your business strategy?
At Textron GSE, we are staying in close contact and communication with our customers so that we understand how technology is changing their operations, and we are investing in R&D and product development to be prepared for those shifts. We don’t want to settle for telling the customer what we have – we want to be prepared to make what the customer wants and needs.
When our customers define their strategic and technological path forward, we will have products, services, technologies and solutions ready to serve their needs. We have some exciting new product updates coming soon, so stay tuned!
We are also focused on enhancing our after-sale support for our customers. We’re building out our on-site support offerings through our network of service technicians and airport service centres. We’re investing in technology that allows us to better communicate with customers in the field and respond to their service needs. We’re committed to keeping our customers’ operations running safely and efficiently.
