By Morgan Joel, Director of Outsourced Solutions, FlexTek
About a month ago, one of our longest-standing customers, PrimeFlight, called us with news of its imminent acquisition of StratAir which included three cargo locations.
Here’s the twist: those new employees would be rolling right into the cargo division we already support.
The catch? We had 24 hours to put a plan together and mobilize an HR travel team.
Once the deal closed, we worked with PrimeFlight HR and the local StratAir teams to help onboard over 600 people. And not over the course of a few weeks. We did it in five days, start to finish.
Not Our First Employee Onboarding but Definitely the Fastest
Luckily, FlexTek has done this before. In 2023, we helped onboard a large group at PrimeFlight’s IAH cargo station. That time, we had 30 days to plan and get everything done.
This time, we didn’t have that runway. StratAir’s payroll was ending on the last day of the month, and in order to minimize the lull between employers, we wanted everyone to be fully onboarded to PrimeFlight as quickly as possible.
And instead of one location, we were onboarding at three:
- Miami International Airport (MIA)
- Richmond International Airport (RIC)
- Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan (SJU)
What Made It Different
Typically, employee onboarding sits with the PrimeFlight HR team. FlexTek recruits, and then the local PrimeFlight team handles the employee onboarding process.
But this time, because of the scale and speed, it was all hands on deck. PrimeFlight asked us to collaborate closely with their leadership and the local StratAir teams to make this happen. PrimeFlight handled the huge amount of work necessary behind the scenes to prepare for the sprint. The FlexTek team partnered with PrimeFlight HR to develop the process and the training. We all tackled the on-site execution, working hand in hand.
It was truly a joint effort…
What It Looked Like on the Ground
We sent a FlexTek team to Miami and San Juan. PrimeFlight sent their team to Richmond. I led the station in Miami while the PrimeFlight HR teams led the other sites, and we worked together to train the teams across all three locations to ensure a consistent process.
Everyone had a clear role at each location all while jumping in to assist each other to onboard new team members to keep the process moving.
Each site used a four-station setup:
- Check-in, title and pay rate confirmation
- Drug testing — using saliva swabs, returning results in about 7 minutes
- Onboarding paperwork
- I-9 completion
Onboarding one person took about an hour, and we were processing between 125 and 150 people each day. Across the five-day sprint (Friday through Tuesday), the teams worked very long shifts with a great attitude, often 15 to 16 hours, to keep everything on track.
In total, we processed 603 people.
Kind People, Calm Energy, and a Team That Cared
What really stood out was the energy. Even with the tight timeline and long days, everyone — and I mean everyone — stayed positive.
The transitioning workers came in upbeat, respectful, and ready to go. They showed up early, eager to get started, and honestly just really kind. And everyone on the StratAir, PrimeFlight and FlexTek teams matched that. We made a point to greet everyone with warmth, keep the tone calm, and walk people through the process in a way that felt personal. In fact, the team applauded every single time a new employee was fully onboarded!
It wasn’t just about getting it done. It was about doing it well — and making sure every person felt seen and supported through the transition.
From the PrimeFlight Team
“This onboarding effort was a huge lift, and FlexTek worked closely with us to handle it with total professionalism and care. The coordination, the clear process, and the energy they brought made a big difference. Our teams felt supported, and our new employees felt welcomed which is exactly what we needed during such a fast-paced transition. They managed all of this without missing a beat at all three locations. That kind of consistency is rare and incredibly valuable.”
— Julie Schifani, Senior Vice President of HR, PrimeFlight Aviation Services
We’re proud to be the team PrimeFlight calls when they need support like this and grateful for the long, trusted partnership that makes it possible to work together to deliver when it mattered most.
