COO: Transwest expansion to focus on the north

As Transwest Air rebrands its company and unveils a new business plan that’s rooted in northern Saskatchewan, it’s putting squabbles with the City of Prince Albert behind it.

In recent months Chief Operating Officer (COO) Garrett Lawless has locked horns with city manager Jim Toye, and Prince Albert Airport manager Corey Nygaard over airport services.

However, the two city staffers were present at the Friday announcement that Transwest Air is separating five of its business ventures. They’ll now exist as a family of companies under the Transwest Group of Companies.

In his speech at the unveiling of this expansion, Lawless explained one of its four new corporate value statements, which reads “our success grows with the success of those we serve.”

“The history of this company and the future of this company will rest on the north of this province,” Lawless said to about 30 people.

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He said the company has identified health, fitness, and education as the main obstacles to success in the north.

In effect, the company will target its community development donations to help overcome these northern issues. This will include planning how much money to put towards community development and deciding where it will be best spent, Lawless explained.

As an example of Transwest’s current projects, Lawless spoke of a Saskatoon police officer who’s returned to his home community of Fond du Lac to start fitness programs to spark an interest in healthy living.

A new look

To current Transwest Air customers, the biggest visible change will be the new look of its planes, which will take on a mustard yellow and purple hue.

Transwest Group’s new aircraft painting and refurbishment company – Plane Perfection – is in charge of making the paint scheme changes for both Transwest Air and Northern Shield Helicopters.

The Twin Otter aircraft on display at a public unveiling in Prince Albert is one of the first to undergo the makeover. Lawless said it’s already getting attention in the aviation field.

“We now have all kinds of people knocking on the door wanting us to paint their aircraft. So the balance here becomes when do we do someone else’s aircraft for profit and when do we do one of our own aircrafts to move this ball forward in the transition,” Lawless explained.

The transition from Transwest Air to the Transwest Group was a year in the making, Lawless said.

Part of the process included the company seeking out someone to take on his current position, which Lawless took over eight months ago.

“My mandate was to try and plan a way, chart a course for us to bring this company to the next level,” he said.

The development of Transwest Air into what it is today is about 50 years in the making. It was started by Floyd Glass under the name Athabaska Airways in 1955. In 2000, that airline merged with and La Ronge Aviation to form Transwest Air.

Transwest Air’s current incarnation was “good,” but Transwest Group of Companies’ goal is to be exceptional, Lawless said.

“You will not survive here unless if you are not truly competent.”

His personal goal is for the company’s operations to double within seven years. Lawless’ speech said called the aviation industry a competitive one with “razor-thin profit margins.”

The cause of this competition, he said, is that passion, not profit motivates people in the aviation industry.

“Aviation is almost magical because it speaks to a primal fascination that all of us have, and have carried with us since the day that that first human stood and looked at the sky and watched the birds overhead in gaping wonder and asked, ‘what would that be like?’” Lawless said.

Airport issues

In December, Transwest Air purchased a hangar at the Prince Albert Airport as part of its expansion plans. http://panow.com/article/501753/transwest-plays-hardball-questions-expansion-pa

The April expansion announcement comes on the tail end of a dispute between Lawless and the City over what Lawless perceived to be lackluster services at the airport and misunderstandings over what increased hangar lease fees will go towards.

In reference to the issues, Lawless said meetings with the City have been positive.

“We’ve been told of very strong commitments that the city is making to increasing the service levels at the airport and so far they’ve been true to their word,” Lawless said.

When asked if further hangar purchases are in the cards for Transwest Air, Lawless said “possibly.”

He said the company is taking one step at a time. For 2015, the goal is getting structure in place.

2016 will be about solidifying the companies in their operations, and 2017 will involve looking for new ventures, he said.

Now, Transwest Air, Northern Shield Helicopters, and Plane Perfection are three of five companies within the Transwest Group of Companies.

It also owns fuel company Snowbird Petroleum and elite aviation company Avalerion Corp.

– With files from paNOW’s Thia James, Brent Bosker

claskowski@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @chelsealaskowsk