Tradeport- Arrival and Departure Gate

With the departure of Richard Koroscil as President and CEO of Tradeport, and the arrival of the new President and CEO, Frank Scremin, we reached out to both men to get their thoughts on Tradeport, their career moves and other things. Welcome Frank and thank-you Richard!

Frank Scremin

1. As the new President and CEO of Tradeport, what will your focus be in the first 90 days. What changes, if any, might we expect.

I am fortunate to follow in the footsteps of Richard Koroscil who has done excellent work in positioning the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport for long term growth opportunities. We have a strong team at the Airport. Our freight and commercial business is vibrant, and I am optimistic about enhancements to our passenger service. The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport is within a 45 minute drive of almost 2 million people; our focus will continue to be on establishing services to capture more of this market. TradePort is also committed to working with the City of Hamilton and other stakeholders to assess the PFOS contamination issue that was discovered on the Airport lands with a view to a remediation plan as quickly as possible.

2. Peak oil has certainly been a looming threat to the industry. How will you work to ensure that Tradeport remains competitive and viable?

The price of oil is a challenge for all facets of the transportation industry as well as for consumers. We believe that our location will be of great benefit going forward. Our freight clients are very mindful of the Hamilton advantage right now.

3 The use of the airport lands has been a subject of controversy for a very long time. To the extent that you believe we are heading in the right direction, what would you like Hamiltonians to know about the value proposition for the use of those lands?

Long term strategic land planning is a challenge in many communities. The leaders in the Hamilton community had the vision to build the Linc, the Red Hill Creek Expressway, the 403 and the Skyway Bridge. They built a dynamic Port, an enviable healthcare system, McMaster University and Mohawk College. The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport will be a catalyst to develop lands around the Airport. The challenge will always be to balance sensible development with other land use opportunities.

4. What would be your aspirational goals for Tradeport? What "signature" contribution would you desire or envision making as its new leader?

I really want to build upon the work that Richard Koroscil, Tony Battaglia and so many others have done since 1996. The improvements at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport have been significant. We need to continue to work with all levels of government and the private sector to optimize the real potential of the Airport. This also includes doing our utmost to enhance passenger services for the 2 million people in our service area.

5. Is there anything else you would like to convey to Hamiltonians about Tradeport, future directions or your approach to your new role?

I am very bullish on the future of the greater Hamilton community. We have the "building blocks" to make tremendous progress over the next two decades. Our primary asset is our people. I see the next generation of community leaders and it encourages me. I want to continue TradePort's tradition of civic engagement. We intend to be active participants in the growth and prosperity of our community.

And here's our chat with Richard:

1. Reflecting upon your time as CEO and President of Tradeport, what would you say was your greatest accomplishment and is there any unfinished business that you would have otherwise hoped to address?

Despite the crazy ups and downs of the airline industry and experiencing the worst economic downturn since the depression we have been able to create a successful and profitable business. You will recall that the City was losing close to $2 million a year when they were operating the airport. Jobs have increased from 300 to 3000 and those jobs on average pay 25% higher wages than the City average wage. Our company and our airport business partners have invested more than $160 million into the airport. All of those investments become City assets at the end of our lease term. With these investments the City has realized more than $1 million in additional tax assessment annually. What is so important is that many of these were strategic investments that have now put our airport in a very good position as the economy begins to improve. The air cargo sector of our business has seen ongoing growth and done very well despite the economy particularly when compared to airports in North America and around the globe.

I am also very proud of the work we have done with the Marine, Rail and Road transportation providers here in Hamilton and Southern Ontario. For the first time we have begun to work together to build a multimodal transportation network that can be a strong economic enabler for our community. We are so very lucky to have the transportation assets we have in this community along with a near perfect location to be a very successful transportation gateway. A gateway that will draw new investment and jobs into our community with companies like Maple Leaf/Canada Bread, Federal Marine Terminals, Purolator, UPS, DHL and so many others.

In terms of unfinished business I along with so many of us would love to see more passenger flights in Hamilton. Despite the ups and downs we have experienced in the past I remain very optimistic about our future for three reasons. The dynamics of the airline industry in Canada are about to significantly change with Westjet adding a new aircraft type to their fleet. We are in a very good position to attract that kind of service to places like Ottawa, Montreal, Thunder Bay, New York and Chicago. Second, as the EU comes out of the economic crisis their airline industry will begin to grow again and will be looking for new routes to North America. Thirdly I am hopeful that the Federal Government will deal with some of the cost competitive issues that encourages cross border leakage to US airports. At some point US low cost carriers will enter the Canadian market and Hamilton's comparative low cost structure and large market will be very attractive to them.

2. Why is now the right time for you to elect to step down? What were the considerations?

I have been in the aviation industry for 36 years and it has been a great ride but it is time for me to adjust the pace and spend more time with family, friends and in the community. I almost hesitate to call it retirement, because I intend to be very active, but most likely at something that doesn't necessitate a full-time commitment. The last several years have been extremely busy and it has been difficult for me to spend the time I would like with my family and friends.

3. What advice might you have for Frank Scremin as he calibrates his approach to leading Tradeport?

First I should note, that one of things any CEO can be very proud of, is when someone you hire, mentor and coach moves into a CEO role. Frank is a very good man and loves this industry, he will bring to it his own views and energy that will continue to advance the airports growth. I believe it will be important for him to keep a long term strategic view working with the other transportation modes, our partners and of course the City.

4. Aerotropolis and the use of the airport lands, has been an issue that you have been vocal on. As you consider those who have countered the approach and their reasons for doing so, has it given you pause, or has your views on Aerotropolis remained the same.

I think the dialogue that the community has had on this issue has been a healthy one. In my experience this kind of community engagement can lead to a much better outcome. The Red Hill is another example where different inputs resulted in a much better product at the end of the day. Having participated in the public advisory committee for the AEGD development guidelines I was very impressed with the all of the input that was provided and used by the consulting team and the City. The recommendation that the AEGD be and Eco-industrial Park will help create something quite unique for this entire market and put Hamilton at the fore front of green industrial development.
So I remain very much of the view that the Airport Employment Growth District (AEGD) is one of the most important developments the City should advance as soon as possible. At the end of the day it is all about creating jobs, investment and tax assessment in our community. Making Hamilton a strong and prosperous community.

5. What is next for Richard Koroscil. Will you primarily be pursuing part time consulting, or are there other projects, that you can share, that you will be pursuing?

As I noted earlier I am looking forward to spending more time with my children, doing a little more skiing and back country canoeing. I also have new home that requires further finishing so this will give me an opportunity to take that on. I intend to stay very much engaged in the community, continuing my work with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce as well as the Metrolinx, Ontario Chamber and Theatre Aquarius Boards. I believe there is still much work to do in advancing key transportation issues in our community and expect to continue my participation in the Southern Ontario Gateway Council (SOGC), TransHub Ontario and the McMaster Institute of Transportation and Logistics(MITL).
On the employment side I will be working on a part time (about 25% of my time) basis providing consulting services to Tradeport and its parent company Vantage Airport Group formally Vancouver Airport Services for the next 2 years. Over time I may take on other consulting work through my company Korlon Strategic Services.

6. Is there anything else you would like Hamiltonians to know about Tradeport, your time there or your post Tradeport focus?

I think I have covered most of it.

The Hamiltonian thanks both Richard and Frank for engaging on The Hamiltonian and wishes both of them all the best.

(please note. The Hamiltonian will not publish comments that are unprofessional, or are otherwise inappropriate)