Advancements in technology have been known to make or break industries. The unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry – more commonly referred to as the drone industry – is no different.
From privacy concerns and regulatory issues to a multitude of hardware and software options, governmental and commercial entities that utilize drone technology are often faced with more questions than answers.
That’s where ArgenTech Solutions comes in.
With a West Coast office in Vancouver and an East Coast office in New Hampshire, ArgenTech Solutions is a veteran-owned business dedicated to providing services for UAS original equipment manufacturers, while also offering service directly to customers that are looking for high-precision products or flight services.
“We identify the best tool to meet mission needs and provide a package of services tailored to their specific requirements,” explained Marcel Piet, the company’s president of defense services.
Because ArgenTech Solutions is not an original equipment manufacturer, they can source the best possible unmanned aircraft system for the job, based on the needs and budget of each client.
The company has approximately 70 employees located throughout the United States. Seven employees make up ArgenTech’s Vancouver office, which focuses on defense work – providing service to the U.S. government, as well as other foreign governments and non-government organizations.
ArgenTech’s commercial-based work is managed from its New Hampshire office, where a team offers remote sensing services for precision agriculture, infrastructure inspection and 3-D mapping to commercial sectors around the world.
When asked what brought ArgenTech to Southwest Washington, the company pointed out its close relationship with Boeing-Insitu, located in nearby Bingen, WA.
To date, the two offices service the United States, Africa, Europe, South America and the Middle East.
Employee focus
According to Piet, ArgenTech Solutions is employee-focused and places tremendous value in their team of Field Service Representatives that work across multiple UAS platforms. These representatives have more than 60,000 hours of combined frontline field service experience and have been deployed for months to remote and hostile locations. Approximately 98 percent of their employees have some military service and 24 percent are active members of the Guard or Reserve.
“We treat our employees like family,” said Piet. “We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits and we’re always there for our employees when they have questions – even when it’s 3 p.m. in Afghanistan and 2:30 a.m. in Vancouver. Our phone is on and we get an answer to their question.”
In recognition of ArgenTech’s hiring practices, the company was recently named a finalist for the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award – the highest recognition given by the U.S. Government to employers for their outstanding support of employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.
Looking ahead
As drone technology once reserved for defense applications becomes more available for commercial customers, there is a regulatory framework that needs to be understood and applied. This fact, said Piet, bodes well for companies like ArgenTech Solutions, who can step in and help control the balance of the airspace and privacy needed to give clients the data they need.
“The UAS or drone industry has great potential, but we must operate in a professional, safe manner with due consideration to privacy,” he said. “Our biggest threat to advancing the technology and use of UAS is from people operating UAS outside the regulatory requirements.”
Despite the challenges posed by privacy concerns and regulatory hurdles, ArgenTech Solutions anticipates continued growth domestically and internationally.
When the regulatory environment finally does mature in the United States, Piet said “there will be a jump-step increase” in the opportunity to utilize unmanned aircraft systems to their full potential.
ArgenTech Solutions Inc.
16701 S.E. McGillivray Blvd., No. 210, Vancouver
www.argentecgsolutions.com
Founded 2009
