Parry Sound Area Municipal Airport continues to be a bee hive of activity with new businesses arriving and more expansion plans in the works.
A pro-business airport commission with designs on growing out its ample acreage into a full-fledged industrial park has been a magnet for new venture start-ups and companies relocating from other townships in central Ontario.
Pro Safe Fire Training Systems relocated from a drafty, old shop, north of Parry Sound, to a new 8,000-square-foot building constructed by the company at the airport, 20 kilometre south of Parry Sound.
“It's a much better environment down here at the airport,” said Pro Safe president George Seehaver, of last summer's move to the airport, located in Seguin Township, right next to the new four-laned Highway 400.
The six-employee company manufactures fire training simulators mainly for the military and municipal fire departments in the U.S.
The metal fabrication is done in Oakville with the electrical systems completed in Parry Sound.
“There's more activity and business here and we're trying to develop this more. North of Nobel, we were very secluded and it never seemed to develop as quickly as they (township officials) wanted.”
Now he's next to Axt Machine & Tool, a toolmaking and fabrication start-up business that arrived on the scene last year. They aren't far from another new arrival, Power Products Inc., a manufacturer of pneumatic pressure and intensifier cylinders.
“The personalities down here are great because people will help each other. It's nice when your operating so close to other people.”
The commission has a successful track record for attracting new tenants that would be the envy of any small airport operator. About 90 people work in light manufacturing at the airport's growing industrial park and along its apron.
Bush plane-builders, Found Aircraft, has been the anchor tenant since 1999. The 35-employee company is projecting to staff up to 65 once they received government certification to start production of its Expedition recreational aircraft.
Lawrence Aero, a three-employee light aircraft maintenance shop, is the oldest airport business having started operations in 1982.
BP Flight Training School opened in 2001 followrf by a wave of expansion in 2006 that included a terminal expansion and construction of private hangars.
This spring a new auto refurbishment business, Classic Car Reproduction, was moving into a 2,500-foot building next to Axt Machining, Pro Safe and Power Products. Another business, electrical contractors Sifft Electric are moving onto the site this year.
The commission is actively looking to reel in an avionics shop, a paint shop and other small manufacturers, whether they're aviation-related or not.
The expansion has been fueled by securing more than $750,000 in federal and provincial grants since 2006 to fund two phases of growth with new power, water and sewer lines that led to the construction of the buildings and 18 new private hangars. The airport leases the property to them and the tenants build their hangars and shops.
The operation's finances are also in good shape thanks to increases in fuel sales, leases and rentals, and taxes collected. It's meant less reliance on the township for operating expenses in dropping the municipal levy by 26 per cent since 2003.
Commissioner Doug Sainsbury, a Seguin township councillor, said there's no shortage of interest from businesses wanting to relocate from other airports.
"We get traffic every week with people coming in with an idea or project. I think people like to be around a successful place," said Sainsbury.
"The camaraderie that we have among our tenants is absolutely exceptional. They just help each other all the time. If they need something they just walk next door time."
There could be neighbours coming over the horizon. A more ambitious third phase is coming up to clear space to site 20 more private hangars and erect three commercial buildings for prospective aviation-related tenants next to the runway.
To accommodate them, it'll mean blasting through rock, a $1 million undertaking. The commission and township is chipping in 10 per cent of the costs with the rest, hopefully, coming from FedNor and Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. The commission is wasting no time doing the advance work.
The surveying has been done and the engineering work will be complete by late May with tenders expected by mid-June. If all works well, and some government infrastructure money comes in, or the airport nabs some federal cash spilled over from next year's G8 Summit in nearby Huntsville, construction could start by August.
Sainsbury isn't worried that the government's infrastructure spending blitz will lead to a run on contractors.
"We have talked to some of the (local) contractors and they still have a capacity."
Also on the wish list is a plan to rotate the runway slightly about three or four degrees to port to take advantage of the prevailing west wind.
When the airport opened in 1979, its 4,000-foot runway was built in the wrong direction, to the north. There was talk of building an east-west runway and some prep work was done, but the commission killed the idea since it would do nothing to generate additional revenue.
Sainsbury is still fishing for a federal CAN PASS designation to allow international flights to land without having to clear Canada Customs somewhere else. And down the road, they would like to lengthen the runway to 5,000 feet to accommodate small jets and possible a regular charter flight service.
Pro Safe's Seehaver attributes much of the Parry Sound facility's success to Sainsbury.
“The best asset this airport has is Doug. He's such an amazing guy and he really has his finger on what's going on here and he really does promote the airport all the time.”
www.parrysoundairport.com
