Airport Baggage Industry Organization Honors Three At 2025 Annual Bhs Summit In Dfw

The International Association of Baggage System Companies (IABSC) has announced the honorees for the organization’s 2024 Lifetime Achievement, Innovation and Outstanding Young Professional Awards. This recognition is awarded to those who have distinguished themselves for their technical contributions to the airport baggage systems industry as well as their thought leadership in this highly specialized industry.

Lifetime Achievement

The 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Chris Norton, owner, CEO and President of VTC, a respected leader in the design and implementation of integrated airport security solutions. These include baggage handling systems (BHS), Checked Baggage Inspection Systems (CBIS) and Security Screening Checkpoint (SSCP) systems.

A long-time fixture in the industry, Ms. Norton started with the Vic Thompson Company (VTC) as a BHS design consultant in the wake of the attack on the World Trade Center. She was instrumental in the development of baggage security screening technology that followed the birth of the Air Transportation Safety Act (ATSA) in November, 2001. She has been a guiding force in the growth and development of the IABSC, where as past Board Chairperson she helped shape the organization’s direction and promoted best practices in the industry.

She is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), Airports Consultants Council (ACC) and the Florida Airports Council (FAC).

The first Lifetime Achievement Award, launched in 2021, went to two industry leaders who had the vision to start an industry trade group for airport baggage system companies. The late Danny Bearden, an executive with Forbo Siegling, and Bruce McMickle, a senior executive with several large BHS companies, were recognized for their lifetime commitment to the BHS industry and their leadership in the creation of the IABSC.

In 2022, the award went to Michael Benedetti, who made his mark in the industry over 30 years as a controls engineer and later as a technical consultant to the TSA. His contributions include concept, development and maintenance of the PGDS, the oversight of the TSA’s System Integration Facility (TSIF) test loop, the TSA Interface Requirements Document, and numerous other technical requirements documents that govern implementation of CBIS systems at airports.

In 2023, the award went to Jay Bouton for his lifetime of prominence in sales and marketing for the industry. One of the most recognizable faces on the road, he started his career at Portec, and served in posts at Stearns Airport Equipment, BAE Automated Systems, CAGE, Ameribridge, Dew-Bridge, Cognex, Siemens, and as a board member of the IABSC. He has been a well-loved fixture for five decades.

Innovation Award

The IABSC Innovation Award went to two brothers who, more than seven decades ago, were asked by Continental Airlines to develop a baggage conveyor that could navigate curves and corners. Charlie and Ed Fry, owners of Fry and Company, responded by creating the world’s first powered curved belt conveyor designed to transport air passenger baggage. That novel idea is now an essential component in airport baggage systems, as well as food and beverage plants, parcel sort systems, meat packing facilities, and numerous other industries.

Ed Fry was the engineer in the duo, while Charlie was the marketing force of the Victor, CO company. With their success with the powered curve conveyor, the company moved to Canon City CO, where it was later sold to Portec Inc. Over the years, Portec expanded the reach of the brothers’ chain-driven power turn which remains an essential component in airport baggage systems. Portec is now part of the Interroll portfolio.

Past Innovation Award honorees include the team of industry thought leaders who in the wake of 9/11 studied the physical, operational and system parameters and challenges required to create the first checked baggage inspection systems. Many of those design principles formed the foundation of the Transportation Security Agency’s (TSA) baggage security screening system Planning Guidelines and Design Standards (PGDS) which define performance standards to this day. They were the first to receive Innovation Award in 2021.

The four people who were recognized for their effort on this were Mike Golden, a Southwest Airlines employee on loan to the TSA, Vic Thompson, owner of VTC, Chris Norton of VTC, and Southwest Airlines.

In 2022, this award went to the late Joel Staehs, inventor and patent-holder of the BAE Automated Systems “Pusher” which served as the standard in baggage systems for more than 20 years. Over 3000 BAE Pushers were incorporated into BHS in the U.S., Canada, Australia and UK.

In 2023, the award went to Todd Alderman for his invention of the TSA Mobile Inspection Table while at Jervis B. Webb. The tables have been the standard deployed in Checked Baggage Reconciliation Areas (CBRA) rooms at airports. Alderman has a long history of leadership in the industry and currently serves as the president of Daifuku.

Outstanding Young Professional

The Outstanding Young Professional Award made its debut in 2024 as part of the organization’s focus on a new generation of BHS leadership. The recipient of this new award was Skyeler Smith, the Growth Director for Pattern Labs. Ms. Smith was recognized for her ability to recruit, engage and inspire her peers while serving the past two years as co-chair of the Young Professionals Committee. There were no previous winners of this award.

The IABSC is the only US trade organization devoted to the engineering design, development, and delivery of complex automated baggage handling systems at airports. The annual Summit is held in January each year in Grapevine, TX, and draws participants from every facet of the industry, including design engineering firms, BHS suppliers, airlines, airports, general contractors, government and regulatory officials.