leaders. innovators. visionaries.

AvL Technologies, Inc. was formed by Jim Oliver in 1994 when he was asked to design and manufacture a lightweight positioner for an ERA Technology 1.5M reflector for BAF Communications. Built with aircraft-grade steel cables, the positioner was rigid, backlash-free and lightweight, and demand for Jim’s new positioner followed quickly. Jim since has developed numerous families of antennas and terminals with the cable drive positioner as the core, and fielded 30,000+ antennas in the company’s first 25 years.

With corporate headquarters based in Asheville, North Carolina, AvL offers the world’s largest range of satellite antennas for vehicle-mount, flyaway and fixed Earth station applications with sizes ranging from 60cm to 5.0M. Thanks to state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities, cutting edge designs and development, AvL antennas are extraordinarily sturdy, efficient and reliable. In addition, AvL is well known for providing adept customization to meet specific needs and requirements.

The AvL Technologies campus in Asheville, NC, includes two buildings with 110,000 total square feet of manufacturing space, a test dock at each building, research and development facilities, and a test range nearby.

Field Performance and Reliability

Engineering design is not just about performance — it’s about longevity. AvL antennas are designed and manufactured with resilience in mind, standing the test of time in diverse locations and challenging conditions. An example of our commitment to long-term quality is AvL’s first antenna, serial no. 001, which still operates today and has outlasted two truck chassis.

With more than 35,000 AvL SATCOM antennas currently in use worldwide — approximately 80% serving government and defense users — the durability and operational longevity of AvL products are testaments to their quality and AvL’s engineering proficiency.

Customizable Antenna Technologies

AvL imparts 350+ years of SATCOM engineering expertise into every antenna design. AvL engineers excel in innovative and intuitive designs for an array of applications, including FlyAway, DriveAway/Vehicle-Mount, and hybrid terminals. AvL core products can be modified with custom configurations, custom mounts, special environmental tolerances or special frequencies With aperture sizes from 60cm to 5.0m, AvL antennas are recognized – and requested – for reliable operations for nearly any application in nearly any environment.

LEADERSHIP

Jim Oliver

Founder

Jim Oliver founded AvL in 1994 and led the company for nearly 30 years. AvL Technologies is named for Jim’s beloved community of Asheville, NC, where the company is based. “I have often said my goals for AvL are to create great products and provide good jobs. Founding AvL and spending the past 30 years in this effort has been life-fulfilling.”

Jim appointed David Bowne as AvL’s President and Chief Operating Officer in 2023. In 2024 Jim formed a Board of Directors comprised of Oliver family members and industry leaders, and appointed his nephew, Shannon Smith, as Chairman of the Board. 

David Bowne

President & Chief Operating Officer

David Bowne joined AvL in 2023 as President and Chief Operating Officer and brought with him 35+ years of experience in SATCOM and manufacturing, ensuring AvL will continue to lead the industry with rugged and reliable SATCOM products. 

HALL OF FAME

JIM OLIVER

AvL Technologies founder, Jim Oliver, is a brilliant engineer who began his experience designing antenna positioners on satellites in 1967 for Lockheed Missiles and Space. He designed and revolutionized Scientific Atlanta Earth station antennas sized from 3M to 11M. He later was co-founder of SatCom Technologies (now a division of General Dynamics), where he developed another complete product line including the first 2.4M SNG antenna system, prior to founding AvL Technologies in 1994.

Thanks to Jim, there are more than 35,000 AvL antennas fielded throughout the world today – many of them supporting U.S. military efforts and multi-national emergency responders – and enabling communications that are saving lives every day.

Jim Oliver was inducted into the Space & Satellite Professionals International Hall of Fame, class of 2021, with Peter B. deSelding, Co-Founder and Chief Editor of SpaceIntelReport, Kathryn L. Lueders, Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA, and Gladys B. West, Mathematician (retired) for the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, VA. This group of industry pioneers changed, improved and enabled satellite communications as no other group could.