december2023 - 42

Ground Support Spotlight
Spotlight on:
Brian Lesch
The director of sales at Averest, Inc. shares his view
of the evolving eGSE landscape.
BY JOSH SMITH
Ground Support Worldwide:
What attracted you to a career in the
ground support industry?
Brian Lesch: The world of GSE is
a relatively small and specialized
industry and not as widely known as
other industries. I love this fact and
appreciate its uniqueness. There are
a lot of complex challenges we face,
especially in our area of batteries
and chargers, and being able to work
out solutions with our customers is
and always will be very attractive
and rewarding to me.
GSW: What has kept you
engaged in the industry?
BL: The relationships I have built
over the years with my customers,
other industry suppliers and our
team at Averest. I am a " people
person " and value the personal
friendships I have made with so
many in the industry.
GSW: What's the best advice
you've been given while
working in this field?
BL: I can't recall if was ever given
a " best piece of advice " by anyone.
However, I learned very quickly, from
Day 1 on the job, that my reputation
would be judged on being able to
provide the industry's best possible
customer service and support. My
customers understand that issues
with batteries and chargers will
occasionally arise, but the ability to
swiftly respond to these problems
is key in building and maintaining
great relationships.
If I were to offer a piece of
advice to someone new to the
industry, I would tell him or
her to be honest and truthful.
Customers appreciate honesty.
GSW: How have you seen the
ground support industry change the
most during your career?
BL: The relatively quick transition
to electric equipment. My first GSE
Expo was in 2016, and I would guess
the equipment being displayed
was maybe 30-40 percent (electric).
Fast forward to our 2023 show and
I would say at least 90 percent
of the equipment on display was
electric. That is a stunningly fast
transition. Along those same lines,
the transition from flooded lead
acid batteries to lithium-ion battery
technology over the past 3 to 4 years
has been a bit surprising, as well.
GSW: Has this change been to the
benefit or detriment of the industry?
BL: No question it has been a benefit.
Many airlines have set goals to
achieve carbon neutrality or reduce
their carbon emissions as part of
their commitment to environmental
sustainability. We are certainly proud
to be a partner in helping them
achieve this goal.
GSW: What's the next big
thing coming to the ground
support industry?
BL: Along with the standard 80v
electric equipment, we are now
starting to see push towards
42 || Ground Support Worldwide || December 2023
Job Title: Director of Sales
Company: Averest, Inc.
Location: Atlanta, GA
Years of Experience in
Ground Support: 8 years
Years with Current
Company: 8 years
Industry Committees Served On:
SAE AGE-3 Aircraft Ground
Support Equipment Committee
higher voltage (300v-700v)
vehicles and equipment being
deployed on the ramp.
GSW: What type of an
impact will it make?
BL: Existing charging infrastructure
that is in place at the airports
cannot charge this higher voltage
equipment, which means additional
chargers will need to be deployed
soon to be able to keep up with
the high voltage battery charging
demand.
GSW: What would you say to
encourage someone to join the
ground support industry?
BL: I am a huge proponent of the
industry and the people who work
to keep the airplanes moving. If
someone has a passion for aviation,
cool technology and good people, I
would say " jump in! "
december2023

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