Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 31 O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S T R A N S P O R TAT I O N / I N F R A S T R U C T U R E In 2009, the company became the northeastern U.S. dealer for the Swiss company Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. ere are six dealers nationwide and Northeast Air was one of 30 that applied. Most recently, the company got the Tamarack Winglet contract, a year after fi rst pursuing it. Later, in his bare-bones offi ce that has little more than a horseshoe desk scattered with papers and a computer, Laughlin says, "I'm trying to always be ahead of the game." Providing services for commercial airlines e city in 2015 renewed the company's fi xed-based operator license for 20 years, as well as granting one to MAC Air. Both companies also have 20-year options. Northeast Air, though, is fi rmly entrenched, a business that General Manager Mark Goodwin says "touches every plane at the airport directly or indirectly." Duties include fueling the commercial carriers, as well as its general aviation customers, handling all de- icing and ground support for the commercial airlines. e staff also sets up car rentals, hotel stays, restaurant reservations for private jet clients, aside from taking care of the aviation end. ey're dis- creet enough not to name names of the clients, who are not only powerful businesspeople, but big names in entertainment. e jetport's Bradbury says that Northeast Air's customer service focus is a major key to its success, and therefore the airport's, which pumps $1 billion into the area's economy a year. Customer service also includes things like de- icing, Bradbury says. "Last year we heard not one complaint." He says that's an impressive feat when as many as 14 aircraft are jockeying to get out of Portland at 5 a.m. Gateway to Maine Northeast Air's role in the community is equally important, Laughlin says. He wants to create high- quality jobs in Maine, and also help fi nd ways to close the skills gap, particularly for aircraft mechanics. e company is active in PALS, the patient airlift service that transports patients to out-of-state hospitals, as well as a multiple sclerosis fundraiser in which staff dragged a 210,000-pound Boeing 757 down the runway. e day Laughlin was interviewed, staff were wearing pink shirts to show support for breast cancer awareness. He also feels an obligation to the business community. "Our company helps create the fi rst impression for people who come to Maine," he says. "We're the gateway." Kristina Egan, executive director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments, says that Northeast Air's role isn't widely recognized, but its role is key. " ey provide essential infrastructure for our economy," she says. A recent reception at the new terminal for the area's elected offi cials was an eye-opener for many. " ey hadn't visited, they didn't know really who they were," she says. " ey were wowed." e impact the company has on those who fl y in is valuable, she says, adding: " e impression it gives about Maine is that we're a place to be taken seriously." Bradbury says that the company's investment in the airport is proof of their commitment. "We can't have an airport without an FBO, and it's been an exception [48 years] that they've operated here." Laughlin's wife, Linda, is the company's special projects manager. He hopes their son, Jesse, a senior at Bates, will eventually work for the company. First he wants him to "see what's out there and look at this from a distance." Back in the mid-80s, his father told him he could either run the company or his father would sell it. Sandy Laughlin, who died in 2002, had a passion for aviation, but was also a fi rm believer in quality work and customer service. His son says that half a lifetime later, it's still about maintaining that legacy. "When my father handed me the keys to the company, he never told me what to do," Laughlin says. "He said, 'I hope you have as much fun in this industry as I had.' en he walked out the door. "I probably didn't appreciate it at the time, but I do now." MaUreeN MiLLikeN, a cor respondent for Mainebiz, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t m m i L L i k e N @ G m a i L . c o m "WE'RE RETURNING $ 21 MILLION BACK TO THE MAINE ECONOMY— RIGHT WHERE IT BELONGS" As a result of the dedication that Maine's employers and their employees have put into workplace safety, MEMIC is once again issuing a record policyholder dividend in our headquarter state. The 2017 return brings the total returned by MEMIC in capital contributions and dividends to over $241 million since 1998. WITH MEMIC, SAFET Y PAYS DIVIDENDS. Michael P. Bourque President and CEO They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential They provide esstential infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. infrastructure for our economy. — Kristina Egan Greater Portland Council of Governments

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