Our Team

We are a group of individuals who have pooled our breadth of experience and skills into a business that demands perfection.

Scott Cummings - CEO

Scott Cummings

President
Marcos Alonso - CFO

MARCOS ALONSO

CFO

lowell-smith

LOWELL SMITH

DIRECTOR OF SALES

Sergio Molina - Director of Operations

SERGIO MOLINA

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Scott Cummings 

President

In 2019, Todd Dauphinais of Clavis Capital Partners brought me into Solair Group to realize the vision and mission of the business: To be the trusted partner our customers rely on for manufacturing and distributing tools and GSE they need to keep planes safely in the air.

A Title Doesn’t Make a Leader

When I stepped into the role of president at Solair Group, I walked into a company that had an established team with extensive experience. They had created connections with each other and our customers and were used to doing things a certain way.

The team at Solair knew things were about to change because a new leader always shifts the dynamics in a company, they just didn’t know how, and I didn’t either. It reminded me of an experience I had as president of Duke’s Aerospace, when I took on the role of president in 2014.

From 2006 to 2014, I had been working at B/E Aerospace, Inc., where I held several positions in the company from Director of OEM Sales to Vice President & General Manager. In 2014, the time had come for me to make a change, which is the reason I entertained and then finally decided to accept the offer of president at a division TransDigm Group, Inc.

When I accepted the position of president at Duke’s Aerospace, the company and its management team had already been a part of TransDigm for four years, so I thought they would be on-board with updating and changing their techniques and production work.

I figured that I would step in and run the business much like I had done in my previous position at B/E Aerospace as VP & General Manager of one of its divisions. B/E Aerospace had learned to work as a fairly efficient organization, handling production like a well-oiled corporate machine.

After about six weeks at Duke’s Aerospace trying to transform the organization and culture–doing my best to implement procedures and production principles that I had found to work for my previous position–I felt like I was 22 again working on a boat in 15’ swells with a storm just blowing us around in the Gulf of Mexico.

I was holding on for dear life, though I was acting cool, when I noticed our captain. He was as steady as the swells that lashed our boat. He knew his crew and what they were capable of, just as he knew his boat. He wasn’t worried about the storm.

I remember talking with him as the bow pitched straight down into the ocean. He must have seen the look on my face because he said, “I’ve seen worse than this. We’ll make it through just fine.” His sense of purpose coupled with his resolute attitude toward the storm assured me that we would all be OK, and we were, just like he said.

So after six weeks of acting like a boss, I called a meeting of senior management at Duke’s Aerospace. I looked at my team and said, “I came here thinking I could begin where I left off with B/E Aerospace. I realize everyone is probably really angry with me, and I apologize. I didn’t consider all the work you had done getting the procedures and processes right for the orders produced at Duke’s. Why don’t we start over again? And this time, I’ll listen to you and how you run things. Then together, we’ll use our combined knowledge and experience to help our team restructure and organize the changes that will work for Duke’s Aerospace to make us a fully efficient team.

Being a leader isn’t about being the person who hands down orders and expects everyone to carry them out. It’s about knowing how to pay attention and listen to the mechanics of a company: its processes, organization, quirks, and the team’s questions and concerns. As the president, my job is to listen to our leadership team and provide a safe space for them to share their expertise, so everyone has a hand in developing new procedures to bolster our company and make our offerings the solution to our customers’ problems.

I’m Scott Cummings. I’m the president of Solair Group. I’m here to listen to our customers’ needs and meet their expectations beforehand. How can I help you today?

Scott Cummings - CEO
Marcos Alonso - CFO

Marcos Alonso

CFO

The Story Money Tells

A CFO is the financial storyteller of a business. As the CFO, when I look at the numbers, I see the story interwoven in the financials, and I share that story with my team. The story the numbers tell is reflected in the actions and planning of the business.

While financial statements share how well business is doing, as well the areas that need improving, extracting the entire picture is not as simple as reviewing black and white numbers in an income statement. If it were, my computer screen wouldn’t look like the cockpit of a plane.

Some businesses handle their marketing and financial strategy by creating a strict plan and sticking to it. They may have the size and financial strength to do so. Other companies create a plan and see how well it works and quickly adapt. Things that are working are re-enforced and those that are not and re-strategized or tossed aside . These are two different business models and both work, depending on the company and the personnel. I’ve been fortunate to work for companies where both styles have won great market share and profitability.

My experience as a regional CFO for divisions of Fortune 100 companies and for small entrepreneurships have taught me one thing: always have a plan and constantly adapt it based on the results. All business eventually have to face a bad storm. Finding the right plan and having the wherewithal to change the strategy is the beginning of the future success.

In 2020 at Solair Group, as the industry entered uncharted territory at the start of the pandemic, some indicators were showing a trend before the actual problem was fully evident . The story the numbers foretold gave our team the lead time to understand the difficulties we were about to face. Quick reaction, preparation, and support from our Board of Directors and stakeholders provided us with enough time to review our strategy and made critical changes to our plans. This allowed our operation to continue while we handled the volatility of the market. Having a plan with the flexibility to roll with changing circumstances gave us the maneuverability we needed to remain stable and continue serving our customers.

When you’re looking for a company to support your business when it’s time to roll with the punches, call Solair Group. We have the options and flexibility to see your changing circumstances through.

I’m Marcos Alonso, and I’m the CFO of Solair Group. Is your company ready for a partner who looks ahead for the story the numbers tell and can react quickly to your needs?

Lowel Smith

NORTH AMERICA DIRECTOR OF SALES

My aviation career began in the USAF as an F-15 Engine Technician. I left the military and completed my bachelor’s degree, but aviation continued to call. I went back to school and received my AMT and FCC licenses, then entered the commercial aviation world. 

As a mechanic, I worked on aircraft from nose to tail. The more I learned, the stronger my skills advanced. Leadership opportunities became available as my knowledge about aircraft and maintenance grew, allowing me to build great teams.

Moving laterally into engineering broadened my experience of operations within the airlines.  I’ve worked for three airlines in various roles, as well as BP Lubricants and NYCO. Each role afforded greater depth in solving unique situations that airlines, OEMs, and MROs face. 

When I met the team at Solair Group, I knew this was my opportunity for continued growth. Solair is a strong group of technical and service-minded individuals. Our job is to listen and identify those areas we can support. We uncover ways to resolve a problem, whether it’s providing tooling or solutions other operations have benefited from. Challenge is not a word we shy away from, which is what makes us successful in helping our clients.

lowell-smith
Sergio Molina - Director of Operations

Sergio Molina

Director of Operations

Trusting the Inevitability of Change

In my first manufacturing job at Hayes Lemmerz, I was given an opportunity to run the plant. I had been promoted several times, and then my supervisor noticed my inquiries regarding how the plant was managed. Knowing my determination and realizing my efforts, he offered me the opportunity to run the plant, a group of 600 people. The company liked how I worked and managed the plant so well that they sent me to university. I received my bachelor’s degree in business management because my supervisor saw my potential. 

Once I received my degree, another challenge appeared. I had to leave Hayes Lemmerz if I wanted to further my career. The employer I had worked for more than eighteen and a half years, and had been promoted three times, the same company that had supported me while I got my degree, explained to me that there was no more room to grow with the company. If I wanted to learn and do more, then my talent would be better suited moving on to another place of employment. 

Chance and opportunity aren’t always easy to see. For example, I wouldn’t have found the opportunity to work at Hayes Lemmerz, if I hadn’t been living in California. My parents had asked me to finish my last years of high school in Los Angeles, so I moved from Nicaruagua and went to school in California, finding employment in a metal shop, which I really enjoyed. Chance and opportunity find you when you are willing to focus on doing a good job and are open to learning new things. Having a good attitude helps too. 

I didn’t recognize chance again at the end of my tenure with Hayes Lemmerz. It was my wife who suggested I look in Florida for work instead of California. Upon doing so, I found a company who had an open position for a plant manager, and I applied for it. 

A week later, I found myself in Miami, Florida interviewing with Siemens Energy and Automation. The company offered me such an incredible package that I had to take the opportunity. My family and I moved to Miami. Had my wife not suggested it, I wouldn’t have looked in Florida for work. Had I not looked in Florida, the work experiences that I have had would not have happened, and I might have missed the chance to work with Solair Group.  

After Siemens, I’ve had the chance to work as the Director of Materials and Supply Chain at Bertram Yacht. My next position was at Innovida as the VP of operations. After the changes at Innovida, I worked for a small company, The Protective Group, as the Materials Manager. The company fabricated vests and other items for military applications. We grew so much so fast that our revenue went from a few hundred thousand to 100 million in just a few years. I was promoted several times, until I was asked to take over the VP of Operations.  

Each time one door closed, another one opened, and I followed the opportunities. When Scott and Solair Group offered me the position of VP of Operations, I knew it would be a challenge, but the facility had incredible people, top notch machines, and Scott and Marcos had a plan for the future. They wanted someone who had the flexibility and experience my past jobs had provided me, so I accepted the opportunity.  

It’s amazing what happens when you trust in chance, so many incredible offers become available. In taking chances, looking at work as an experience that leads to the next opportunity, I have been able to provide opportunities to people on my teams who I have worked with. My team knows that I am open to giving them the chance to grow and develop their talents. 

I’m Sergio Molina, VP of Operations at Solair Group. We appreciate the opportunity to show you just how much we can do for you and your team.

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YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER

Solair Group is your steadfast, dependable tooling and GSE resource in the aerospace industry. We are dedicated to being the responsive partner you have come to depend on to bring you the tools and GSE that makes doing your job easier.

We’re ready to help. Please let us know how we can.

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Asiair Asier Elorduy

Sales: Europe, Middle East & Africa

Having worked in the aviation industry for fifteen years, the ever-changing landscape of the industry never fails to surprise me. Fulfilling customers’ needs fuels my passion to consistently under promise and overdeliver, which I accomplish with a portfolio of solutions. Working with Solair has broadened my offerings to include tooling and GSE. 

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Larramendi, studying structural engineering and business management. I’ve worked at companies, such as AJW Group, and I’ve been self-employed in the industry. Marrying technical skill with business acumen has allowed me to develop strategies that have helped airlines and MROs resolve issues, which have kept planes flying.  

My biggest challenge hasn’t been the pandemic, where I reinvented my work life, developing relationships that ensured success. The most difficult thing I’ve done was leaving my family in Spain in 2008 to take a job in the UK. Moving from a small town to a large city was jolting enough but having to expand my horizons made me realize that I could be more than I expected. I take that same attitude to my customers, listening intently to create solutions for the problems they face.

Daniel Gutierrez

Regional Sales Manager

The past few years have seen our partners in the aviation industry endure multiple challenges. From obtaining supplies for parts, to supply chain issues, to repairing and maintaining aircraft, and cash flow constraints, the flexibility required by our customers allowed Solair to demonstrate our capabilities. I attribute Solair Group’s array of offerings and decisive attitude to our leadership at the company. 

Our team makes the effort to go above and beyond for our customers, which makes my job of listening and discovering best outcomes for them that much more effective. Challenging though it may be at times, Solair’s ability to accommodate our customers, whether they are airlines, MROs, or parts brokers, has given me the tools to efficiently support their diverse demands. 

I’m no stranger to overcoming obstacles. Multiple options have arisen to tackle adversity, whether it’s been in my personal life or at work. The challenge isn’t the obstacle, it’s remembering to value the experience and to appreciate the opportunity to live it. I’m fortunate to work in the field and in a job that allows me to help our customers overcome the sophisticated and rewarding nature that is the aviation industry.

Lowell Smith

North America Director of Sales

My aviation career began in the USAF as an F-15 Engine Technician. I left the military and completed my bachelor’s degree, but aviation continued to call. I went back to school and received my AMT and FCC licenses, then entered the commercial aviation world. 

As a mechanic, I worked on aircraft from nose to tail. The more I learned, the stronger my skills advanced. Leadership opportunities became available as my knowledge about aircraft and maintenance grew, allowing me to build great teams.

Moving laterally into engineering broadened my experience of operations within the airlines.  I’ve worked for three airlines in various roles, as well as BP Lubricants and NYCO. Each role afforded greater depth in solving unique situations that airlines, OEMs, and MROs face. 

When I met the team at Solair Group, I knew this was my opportunity for continued growth. Solair is a strong group of technical and service-minded individuals. Our job is to listen and identify those areas we can support. We uncover ways to resolve a problem, whether it’s providing tooling or solutions other operations have benefited from. Challenge is not a word we shy away from, which is what makes us successful in helping our clients.

Danny Cepeda

Customer Service

Before the pandemic, I worked in sales at Riverside Paper Company. Boxes, stretch foam, anything that went inside of a warehouse were the products I sold. After Riverside, I worked in a neurologist’s office, which I enjoyed, but growth potential was limited. When the opportunity to work with Solair Group was offered, I put my best foot forward and landed my current position. 

Customers appreciate communication and understanding. I learned that when I was a manager at Aldi Grocery Stores. During my shift, a customer had slipped and fallen. I helped her by calling an ambulance and offering my phone number. Doing those simple two things showed her that my job was to help her, which she greatly appreciated because she felt heard and taken care of.

At Solair Group, I provide customer service to our team and our customers. Our sales team is solely focused on helping our customers by meeting and exceeding their expectations. We offer solutions to individual problems. Working together with our manufacturing team and suppliers, allows Solair to supply outstanding quality tooling and GSE, plus our pricing works within our customers’ budgets, which gives airlines and MROs a solid option.

Amanda Cordero

Inside Sales

In early 2022, I made the move from EAM Worldwide to Solair Group. After spending fifteen great years at EAM working in various positions with increasing responsibility, I realized that I had found my niche, sales, inside sales specifically. 

Challenging myself is how I demonstrate my capability. When I began work at Solair Group, my passion for customer service allowed me to handle the many challenges of learning a new position. 

The aviation industry is a highly specialized one. Each part and tool have a purpose. When a customer contacts us, they are usually on a tight timeline, so we do everything in our power to keep them apprised of shipments. 

In business, not everything is perfect, things happen no matter how hard everyone works. For example, I had to call a client recently because we missed a FedEx pickup. I got on the phone with our client and made arrangements.

I apologized for the mishap, being honest with the client, which they appreciated. They were appreciative of our protocol at Solair. When I went to their office the next day, they shared with me how happy they were with us. We always strive to make our clients pleasantly surprised with our service.

Marcos Alonso

CFO of Solair Group, LLC

I joined Solair in late 2018, while Scott joined in mid-2019. Our extensive corporate experience allowed us to develop a strategy that would take Solair to the next level. As 2019 closed with a strong finish, Solair was positioned for a promising start to 2020.

In 2020 the industry was already showing early slowdowns when the COVID pandemic took hold in March. As the volume of orders reduced, we took quick action, temporarily adjusting our business model and operating capacity, which allowed Solair to continue serving our customers, while getting ahead of the curve.

When the full impact of the pandemic was evident, the market came to a near full stop. We quickly adjusted our plans, which kept the business operating at expected service levels, while continuing to service our customers. Our investors stepped in and acted, providing resources and support at the right time. All realized the situation required a long term outlook, a “holding power.”

Together with our financial partners, we increased Solair’s efficiency, preparing for the “new market“ to emerge. Constant development with a focus on our customers is how we do business.

Isn’t that the kind of partner you want to work with?

Sergio Molina

Director of Operations

Be Proud of Yourself

My career has been spent working in manufacturing. I like planning and working with numbers. Success has come because different people saw my desire to learn and recognized that I was not afraid to work hard-–to challenge myself to reach for what I wanted. 

Before Scott offered me a position at Solair Group in 2019, I was working for a company that made military products. In just a few years, we had built the plant from 35 to 500 people with government defense contracts and orders that totaled 150 million dollars. 

My entire career has been spent in manufacturing, creating strong, healthy relationships within the company and with customers. My experience has taught me that it’s not about how big the challenge is, it’s about how much you believe in yourself. 

I have my dad to thank for my outlook and mindset about work. He taught me to be proud of work and never be afraid of a challenge. My dad didn’t look at situations as a problem, he looked at them as opportunities. He taught me to do the same. 

I’m Sergio Molina, VP of Operations at Solair Group. We welcome the challenges your business faces. How may I help you today?

Ricardo Sierra

Vice-President of Sales

I joined Solair in January 2021. Scott, Marcos, and I had discussed my taking on the role of VP of Sales in 2020. However, we were in unprecedented times, so we waited until the market stabilized, and then I became a part of the team.

Having made the choice to work for a smaller firm, in a position where my experience would directly impact the company, I was excited to share my expertise and ideas, as well as learn from individuals who had extensive corporate experience.  

Over the many years of working in customer service in various business models and industries, I have learned one very important lesson: True customer service is being the solution to a problem.

No matter the situation, my goal is the same: to maintain the highest level of commitment to and stay in communication with my customers. If a problem happens, I explain it to the customer and share with them the steps taken to deal with the issue. Then, I follow up with them, explaining how the issue will be rectified in the future. 

Regardless of industry, customers remember a business that puts their needs first, seeing contacts as partnerships, not just transactional connections. 

I’m Ricardo Sierra, VP of Sales, and I’m your partner at Solair. 

Scott Cummings

President of Solair Group, LLC.

My career in engineering began a couple of years after I was awarded my degree. The first few years between university and my first “real job” at B/E Aerospace was spent on a boat, learning to be a part of a crew, which gave me valuable insight later in my career. 

After starting at B/E Aerospace as an engineer, I took on larger roles in the company with increasing responsibility. As my positions changed, I noticed that what really got me out of bed in the morning was the opportunity to help others realize their potential and see what they could accomplish by working in concert with one another.  The value that high performing teams, with the right focus and guidance, could create for a business, its customers and our employees.

In 2019, I joined Solair Group. Stepping again into a role as a new leader. Proud to join a business with such a strong value proposition for our industry.  We’ve taken risks, accelerated change, and laid a foundation for the future with one thing in mind – how can we best serve our customer’s needs.

I’m Scott Cummings, President of Solair Group. How may I help you?