It’s where airplane seats go to die.
It’s where airplane seats go to die.
After their springs and cushions have been completely exhausted by throngs of travelers, they make their way to Interface Aviation Inc. in Hollister, and inevitably to Peter Shamy, director of sales and marketing.
“We’ve had some of the best backsides in the world on our seats,” Shamy said.
The company, located on Cienega Road and started more than 20 years ago by Frank Horst, houses the largest collection of airplane seats in the world – well over 100,000 individual seats.
It supplies large commercial aircraft with new and refurbished seats, along with other aircraft interior parts and cargo systems.
Originally from New Zealand, Shamy became friends with the current owner, Frank Horst III, on a trip to California in 1976. Being an airplane enthusiast his entire life, when Horst offered him a job 12 years ago, he jumped at the chance.
His involvement with the company, along with his past involvement with aircraft have afforded him an incredible amount of knowledge on a subject he’s passionate about.
“I’m lucky, I guess,” he said. “I love airplanes… and I love Hollister.”
Most of the company’s business involves airplane seats, which they ship all around the world to many big-time carriers.
When seats are past their prime to be refurbished and used again in a plane, the company sells them to the public.
The seats make popular gifts or unusual additions to a patio or person’s home, Shamy said.
“For anyone who’s flown a lot, they’re pretty neat,” he said. “A guy came up from Monterey a couple of weeks ago and spent $10,000 on seats to put in his home movie theater. We’ve done quite well with it.”
Both coach and first-class seats can be sold to the public, ranging in costs from $20 and up. With most sales, Shamy throws in a couple extra seats for free along with the paid-for chairs.
Because of 9-11 and the massive drop in travel since, Interface Aviation also incurred significant losses in sales over the last couple of years, Shamy said.
The false sense of security within the industry as a whole was demolished and brought crashing back to earth – showing exactly how vulnerable the entire travel industry really is, he said.
Although the company suffered about a half million dollar loss since 9-11, its well-established reputation for producing high-quality products and stable base have kept it more than viable.
“We’ve hung in there and now this year it’s coming up again,” he said. “It’s like a catalyst for the economy.”
The aftermath of the tragedy has put the spotlight on safety, and in the long-term, the added restrictions and precautions will be good for the industry, he said.
“It will restore the confidence that was shattered with 9-11,” he said. “And it’s just a sign of the times – there’s good and evil in this world, let’s face it.”
The innovations and technological advances in the aircraft industry is amazing to Shamy, enabling him to continually be fascinated with his job after all these years.
Just the fact that his involvement with the company contributes to the world of flying is enough to keep him grounded in Hollister and working at the company for years to come, he said.
“It’s just phenomenal,” he said. “I can look around at a major airport and there’s a good chance that a lot of those planes there, I’ve been involved with in some small way or another.”
