How many Award Categories?
Currently, The 145 presents twenty-two award categories each year. Over the years the number of awards has continued to increase, and 2019 will be no exception. We will be adding an additional category called “The Best of the Best” award which will be presented to ONE of the twenty-two award winning companies. Below is the list of categories:
- • Best Accessories Class I, II, and III Repair
- • Best Airframe and Aerostructures Repair
- • Best APU Repair
- • Best Avionics and Instruments Repair
- • Best Electro-Mechanical Repair
- • Best Engine Accessories Repair
- • Best Engine Components Repair
- • Best Engine Overhaul Repair
- • Best Fuel Systems and Fuel Accessories Repair
- • Best Galley Components Repair
- • Best Gyros Repair
- • Best Heat Transfer Repair
- • Best Hydraulics Repair
- • Best In-Flight Entertainment Systems Repair
- • Best Interiors Repair
- • Best Landing Gear Repair
- • Best Lavatory / Sanitation Components Repair
- • Best OEM Repair
- • Best Pneumatics Repair
- • Best Safety Equipment Repair
- • Best Total Solutions Provider
- • Best Wheel and Brake Repair
What's the selection process?
All winners of the Top Shop Awards are nominated, and ultimately selected, by their peers in the aviation industry. The 145 does not participate in, or influence, the selection process. Our job is to tabulate all the nominations to create a "Short List" of finalists. We then make the Finalists list public to hundreds of airlines and suppliers from around the world, that are ultimately responsible for selecting the Top Shop Award winners.
Are winners chosen by the number of votes?
Yes and no. The number of votes DO matter, but it's not a one-time popular vote that determines the winners. We actually divide the voting process into two phases to select the best possible shops:
Phase 1 -Finalists Selection
In phase one of the selection process, the number or nominations is important since that's what helps secure your company on the “short list” of finalist. The more votes you recieve, the better your chances of becoming a finalist.
Phase 2 - Winner Selection
The second phase of the selection process is where hundreds of airlines and suppliers have the opportunity to vote for one finalist in each of the twenty-two award categories. When the voting is closed, The 145 simply tabulates all the votes for each repair category and selects the winner based on the most nominations.
How is The145.com involved?
The145.com is the repair industry's most popular database to list and search for repair capabilities, it's also the founder and host of the awards since 2008. As far as the winner selection process is concerned, The145.com's role is to remain neutral, so our involvement starts and ends with tabulating the number of votes to determine the Finalist list and the Winners list. The entire process is strictly objective.
Who are the voters?
The voters are any company that would benefit from the services of repair centers. Airlines, OEMs, leasing companies, parts suppliers and even other repair centers.
Are self-nominations counted?
No. Self-nominations are not tabulated.
Tips to Win
Here are three things you can do to increase your chances of winning a Top Shop Award:
Fit the Part
Take time to seriously evaluate all your company's strengths and weaknesses. Do you have superior customer service, or is that something that could be improved? Do you have competitive turn-around-times? Are your prices competitive? Are you constantly looking for innovative ways to improve your workflow and repair processes? If so, you're a great Top Shop candidate!
Download the “Vote for Us” Link
The more exposure you can get the better. Take time to download the “Vote for Us” link and install it in your emails and on your website. The easier you make it for your customers to vote for you, the better your chances. To download the “Vote for Us” link: Click
Educate Your Staff
Remind your customer service and sales support staff to solicit nominations, when appropriate. For example, you might say to a customer: “If you like using our shop, please be sure to nominate us for a 145 Top Shop Award…specifically for the pneumatics category”. You’d be surprised how willing customers are to vote for you, especially when you help them recognize they like working with you.
