company was opened in Sept-Îles called
Innukoptères, which services the Duples-
sis region of Quebec with a fleet of four
helicopters.
Despite operating during a short season
with less than six hours of sunlight, Nun-
avik Rotors has made a name for itself.
What is the secret behind its success?
Duncan points to two main things in re-
sponse. To start with, being diverse with
clientele has allowed for success. Apart
from the search and rescue missions that
it carries out on a year-round basis, the
company does medevac and emergency
missions, scientific and geological explo-
ration and tour rides. Clients include the
Quebec government, the CanadianWildlife
Services, the mining industry and national
parks. Additionally, the locals often call for
the company’s services when weather en-
sures that commuting over land is not an
option.
This diversification is especially helpful
now since the mining industry is currently
experiencing a downturn. “The majority
of our clientele is the mineral exploration
division and the markets are way down,
which affects them and in turn it affects
us. If they don’t have money, they won’t
go to work and they won’t have use for
us,” Duncan said.
The second thing behind the company’s
success is Duncan’s ability to lead a one-
man show when things slow down in the
winter. “I do many tasks for the company.
In the wintertime when it’s quiet, I can trim
right down to basically being operational
by myself,” Duncan said. The fact that he
contributes to the company as a pilot and
in a managerial capacity reduces both cost
and dependence. Location is also key for
managing costs; being local brings down
expenses quite dramatically.
The company has no large plans to ex-
pand. For the region it serves, Nunavik
Rotors has already reached maximum ef-
ficiency. Although a fleet enlargement is
possible, Duncan says that this would be
a nonsensical move. “The amount of work
that’s here and the short season, I think
we’ve figured out that the size that we are
in is perfect,” he said.
nunavikrotors.com
SEPTEMBER 2016
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business elite canada
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