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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 29 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 "I wasn't tied to any past," he says. "I had no past." Since then, the company that his father, Henry "Sandy" Laughlin Jr., started in 1969 has grown from $2.5 million in sales and 20 employees to $60 million and 60 employees. Since its beginning, it has been a fi xed-base operator at the jetport, providing services to both private and commercial aircraft. On a recent tour, Laughlin pointed out Tamarack Winglets being installed on a private jet. e wing extensions save fuel and extend an airplane's life. "It's revolutionary," he says. "It's really exciting." Last year, Northeast Air opened a $3.5 million glass-fronted modern terminal. is fall, it's break- ing ground on a hangar to store large jets. Paul Bradbury, the jetport's director, says con- stant evolution is a key to Northeast Air's longevity. " ey're always adding equipment, technology," Bradbury says. "And they do an exceptional job." Laughlin says it's all about grabbing opportu- nities. "Not that they all work out, but you always have to be looking." 'One big opportunity' When he took over the company, Laughlin vis- ited aviation companies across the country that had survived the economic crash. "I looked at what they were doing and asked, 'How can I do that in Portland, Maine?'" he says. "Everything to me was one big opportunity." In 1985, Northeast Air — known then as North East Air Motive — focused on aircraft sales, main- tenance and fueling. Laughlin has made it a point to maintain the core principles that sustained the business in its fi rst 16 years — dedication to employees and customers, quality service, fair prices. He'd also learned through a lifetime of being around the business that it is "full of wonderful people." "But the biggest thing I liked is that I could run a company in my own vision," he says. "It was on- the-job training, believe me. I made mistakes." Learning to run a business not only included under- standing business fi nance and the nuts and bolts, but also how to create an engaged and motivated workforce, defi ne vision and then get the team excited about it. "All this while trying to manage risk," he says. Over the years he's learned the power of relation- ships, how to build a great network of people with like-minded values and how important that is to success. He also learned to invest profi ts back into technology and equipment, to diversify and to fol- low the industry as it changed. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I The biggest thing I liked is that I could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own could run a company in my own vision. It was on-the-job training, believe me. I made mistakes. — Henry Laughlin III Northeast Air

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