Carver Aero Expands into Chicago Region

Carver Aero has expanded into the Chicago region with the acquisition of LumanAir, an FBO based at the Aurora Municipal Airport (KARR) in Illinois.

The company adds to its network in Muscatine, Davenport, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, as well as Janesville, Wisconsin, supplying corporate and general aviation services including:

In the move, Carver Aero also acquired ATS Illinois, an aircraft maintenance and servicing company that has operated at the Aurora Municipal Airport since 1992.

“It’s been a wonderful ride,” former LumanAir owner Mike Luman in a statement. “Our dad started the business in 1960 at the former Aurora Airways Airport, south of Interstate 88 and west of Lake Street. We’ve had several offers over the years, but we were waiting for the right people and the right company to come along that would continue the legacy of our family. Carver Aero is that company.”

Mark McKinney, owner of ATS, said, “Guy Lieser, the CEO of Carver Aero, and I go back many years. When he approached me about joining the Carver Aero team, it made perfect sense. They have great plans for the company and this airfield, and the ATS team wants to be a part of it.”

The Aurora City Council approved the acquisition on July 27, and the move was announced Thursday.

Carver Aero is owned by CL Enterprises, based in Peru, Illinois.

“As a new tenant of the airport, we are honored by the welcome and trust we received from the city and from existing businesses at the airfield,” said Peter Limberger, co-founder and chairman of CL Enterprises. “We will earn this trust, become good neighbors and contribute with our planned investments to the economic development of the airport and the city. My wife Inga Carus and I are especially happy that both Mike Luman and Mark McKinney not only sold their family businesses to us, but will continue to provide their deep knowledge to Carver Aero going forward.”

The expansion is part of a broader period of growth in the FBO segment, particularly across the Midwest, as business and general aviation rebound from the pandemic.