CHICAGO-Boeing Co. and aviation parts supplier Avio-Diepen (Atlanta) have signed a long-term agreement integrating Avio-Diepen as part of Boeing's Integrated Materials Management (IMM) initiative, an effort that cuts maintenance costs for operators of Boeing aircraft.

As part of the agreement, Avio-Diepen will maintain an airline's inventory of maintenance supplies, including spare parts, thereby reducing the airline's own inventory and its cost of doing business.

Avio-Diepen, founded in 1946, is a commercial aerospace distributor, providing inventory-management services, customized integrated supply programs and kit packaging services to approximately 1,900 OEM, airline, and maintenance and repair customers worldwide.

"We are very proud to be selected as a partner for Boeing's IMM program," says Herman Kooyman, executive vice president of Avio-Diepen. "The staff in our worldwide facilities have a very strong customer focus and we believe this program will bring our customers costs savings and guaranteed availability."

According to Boeing, the company's IMM initiative serves as an extension of the materials management programs the company already as in place with a number of airlines, including AirTran, All Nippon Airways, Delta, KLM, Japan Airlines, Japan Transocean Air and Singapore Airlines.