Meet Danny Hiner, COO of Tamarack Aerospace Group. Danny is an essential member of the Tamarack team and has nearly 40 years of experience in aerospace manufacturing.
He started his career initially as a painter when he was just 18 years old in an aircraft factory, and eventually worked his way up to Vice President of Production. Danny’s journey at Tamarack started long before the first set of Active Winglets was installed on a CitationJet in 2015. He started as Production Manager in 2012, and as the company grew he moved into the COO role. “My day-to-day work involves making sure our crew has everything they need, from parts to information, really anything to get the job done under budget and on time,” Danny describes. A true servant to the people he works with, he puts his team and the company first, and his priorities are making sure his team is supported and has everything they require to be successful.
To Danny, the best part of working at Tamarack is the people. “At Tamarack, we’ve assembled an intelligent, friendly, lively, very creative group of people, and I like to say I’m surrounded by an all-star team every day,” he says, “and the culture that comes from that is one where everyone is heard and gets to participate.”
Since CEO Nick Guida conceptualized the idea of load-alleviation technology, Tamarack Aerospace has grown from a small group of engineers and mechanics with a great idea to being FAA and EASA certified with a fleet of over 150 CitationJets, and Danny has witnessed it all. “It’s been really exciting to see how much Tamarack has grown,” he says. “It was an idea that didn’t exist and something the industry had been waiting on for decades.”
Aerospace has always been one of the most exciting industries to work in, but Danny has some advice for those starting out. “If I could tell someone that’s just starting out in aerospace, I’d say buckle up, you’re in for an exciting ride. You’ll see a lot of different things and it will show you truly how small the world is.” Additionally, there are certain habits and skills that will help in an aerospace career. According to Danny, work ethic and communication skills are among the most imperative. And of course, math.
Even busy aerospace COOs get out of the office sometimes. Luckily, the Sandpoint area offers much to the working professional in off-hours. “People say, you’ve been in this industry for 40 years, why don’t you fly? When I get off work, I like to get away from the airport!” Danny prefers to hop on his motorcycle and go for a ride or take his boat out on Lake Pend Oreille with friends. “I also love to do anything with my sons and grandkids, and any time with them is the most valuable thing in my life,” he says.
When looking ahead, the future of aerospace is an exciting one. “Looking into the future, I think you’re going to see new, sleek designs and technology really come alive,” says Danny. “I think the laws of aerodynamics will be challenged a lot in the next 20-50 years.” As for the future of Tamarack, the future is just as exhilarating. He states, “In the next 3-5 years, I would love to see us have our technology on multiple airframes, ranging in different sizes, and show the capability of active load alleviation for sustainability and the future of aviation.” The future looks bright for Tamarack, and Danny will be there leading the way.
