there by air.com

There By Air.com

Enterprise Air is more than a clever web address in Oshawa, Ontario

By John F. Infanger, Editorial Director

August 2001

OSHAWA, ONT — As General Motors goes, so goes this community of some 120,000 on the western shore of Lake Ontario, with three GM plants and the corporation’s Canadian headquarters based here. So, too, goes Enterprise Air Inc., started in 1994 by entrepreneurs Manny Rosario and Brian Burchartz, who are investing millions in new facilities as they tie their future closely to that of GM and the Oshawa Airport.

Although business has slowed somewhat in 2001 because of the downturn in North American auto sales, say Rosario and Burchartz, their rapid growth in just over six years can be attributed to good times at GM in recent years, along with significant growth from nearby Toronto, some 40 miles down the shore to the west.
FAST FACTS:
• Retail fuel: 94 cents/liter (Canadian)
• Annual fuel volume: 300,000 gallons
• Fleet — Cessna 310; Beech 18; Navajo; DC-3 (piston); Basler Turbo DC-3; PBY

They remain optimistic that their strong revenue trend, growing from $150,000 in annual sales (Canadian) in 1994 to over $3 million in 2000, will continue and are investing $2.4 million (Canadian) in a new 25,000-sq.ft. hangar/office complex across the airfield. The facility sits on four acres under a 20-year lease with options.

To help finance the move, a third partner was added; Bruce Graham, who owns a fixed base operation at the Kitchener Airport west of Toronto and is the Enterprise Air fuel supplier, Hammond Fuels/Graham Energy.

The new Enterprise Air facilities will lie adjacent to the city’s modern terminal building.

The move is part of the city of Oshawa’s attempt to consolidate airside operations on one side of the airport while pursuing compatible opportunities for the acreage which presently houses tired aviation and military facilities left over from World War II. A key component of future success, say the partners, is extension of the main runway from 4,000 feet to 5,000 feet, an initiative that is moving slowly.
Along with new facilities, Rosario and Burchartz are targeting new opportunities and foresee scheduled charter service as a strong possibility.

Cargo, Then Diversity
Rosario, 48, and Burchartz, 37, met working at their Oshawa predecessor Skycraft, which went out of business following a change in attitude by the owner and the 1980s eoncomic downturn in Canada, they say. They teamed up in 1994, and following their initial success have slowly added new businesses, including flight training and specialty charters. Enterprise Air also offers fuel services, primarily fueling its own aircraft, and is the property management arm. Another company, Enterprise Airlines, serves as the maintenance provider.