Company Founded In October, 1994

In October of 1994, when a handful of innovative technicians and forward-thinking investors opened the doors of International Communications Group, Inc in Newport News, Virginia, they knew very little about the aviation industry. In fact, they weren’t focused on aerospace at all; their initial products were communications management systems designed for telephone connectivity for the cruise ship industry. But innovators innovate, and connectivity is important to people in the air as well as those on the water so ICG capitalized on developing a solution for a parallel gap in technology for the aviation industry after saturating the maritime market.

Now, two decades later, virtually all major OEMS and dealers are among ICG’s customers and the handful of original staff members has grown to more than 100 employees, producing an impressive array of aviation communication, integration, automation and management systems. As it marks its 20th anniversary this month, ICG is a recognized leader in the design, development and manufacture of next-generation aerospace communications systems and data routing solutions for general aviation and air transport industries. Its products and customers are located on every continent and it attracts employees from all over the globe. Situated in one of the nation’s most beautiful and historic regions, ICG has been recognized several times in recent years as one of Virginia’s “Fantastic 50” fastest growing companies.

Built around a concept of “open architecture” to meet aircraft communication requirements, ICG designs and builds products that can be configured to integrate with existing systems and are adaptable and expandable for future improvements. “When we entered the aerospace industry ICG recognized that we could add value and develop additional capacity for existing systems as well as create stand alone technology,” said Scott Trainum, Chief Executive Officer of ICG. “Our market niche was never a ‘start from scratch and attempt to take a small percentage away from established competitors.’

“From the very beginning, we’ve seen real opportunity in innovative partnerships that have proven to be beneficial to ICG, our partners and our end user customers. We’ve been able to offer obvious enhancements to existing platforms, advance technology and improve efficiency and safety in a lot of ways. We continue to do that and to develop new products as we continue to grow.

“Now, as we enter our third decade, we have begun production on several new products and we’re pursuing some key collaborations. For example, we’ve just started manufacturing our compact and highly capable eRouter and we’re leveraging our expertise in the installation and certification of Future Air Navigation System (FANS) systems to include more aircraft. At the same time, we have entered into a number of agreements with some of the industry’s leading avionics OEMs and manufacturers to create customized solutions that set the standard for data and voice communications. We are extremely gratified to be chosen to build and design these systems for them. It underscores the versatility and creativity of our engineering force, which is one of the major factors that sets ICG apart from our competitors.”

While its relationships with OEMs has accounted for significant growth in its business portfolio in past years, ICG is also experiencing growth in its business aircraft segment as it moves ahead with the introduction of its FANS and eRouter devices. “We just received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the eRouter on the Dassault Falcon 900 and we are embarking upon STCs on the Bombardier Challenger series and Gulfstream’s G2, G3 and G4 models, as well.”

ICG has established itself as the leader in FANS over Iridium (FOI) installations for business aviation, having collaborated to secure the first STC issued by the FAA for an Iridium-based avionics platform on a business jet. ICG accomplished this by integrating its NxtLink Series ICS-220A transceiver as part of a comprehensive avionics suite to meet the FAA’s required communications and surveillance performance standards for FANS operations. ICG’s was involved in the first general aviation FANS over Iridium STC on a Dassault Falcon 50 with Chicago Jet Group. “We are the experts in this arena, having worked extensively with the airlines prior to leveraging our capabilities and experience to expand into the business aviation marketplace,” Trainum said.

Over the course of its two decades of existence, ICG has grown into a significant contributor to the local economy in Newport News, Virginia and a leading technology innovator in the aerospace industry.

FMI: www.icg.aero