Ipeco Inc Seating Products Makes Air Travel More Comfortable

In 1960, Allan Johnson founded Ipeco as a sub-contract machining and fabrication company. In the early 1970’s, there were many reports of pilot fatigue caused by uncomfortable seats. Coincidentally, this is around the same time that Ipeco got into the business of seat design for airframe manufacturers and airlines. As a result, they have now became a global market leader in crew seating for commercial aircraft and are the primary supplier of seats on all Boeing commercial aircraft platforms since 1985, meaning they supply approximately half of the commercial aerospace market. Their success in this industry led to the acquisitions of Benson Lund, Polymeric, AMC, and Pulse.

These companies specialize in aircraft interiors, composite manufacturing, aircraft gallery inserts, and electronic power supplies and battery management systems, respectively. By the early 2000’s, Ipeco had attracted clients that included the likes of Cessna, Bombardier Aerospace, and Hawker Beechcraft. Currently, it is one of only three companies that supplies the ovens, fridges, and beverage makers on the new Airbus aircraft. Ipeco continues to service all types of commercial aircraft with seating products through operations in several UK facilities (Southend-on-Sea, St Neots, Clevedon) and USA facilities (Torrance, Seattle, Wichita). In 2010, Ipeco largest aircraft manufacturer in the world actually won a multi-million pound contract, Boeing, as the sole supplier of cockpit seats for their new 787 Dreamliner commercial jetliner. This contract has solidified Ipeco’s position as an industry leader in commercial aircraft seating and adds to its impressive resume, which already includes Boeing’s rival aerospace giant Airbus.