cuc

"The dominant size of cuc enabled Dobbin to extend the company’s clout in the industry and acquire more competitors. By the . end of 1987, cHc had gathered fuel distributor Aero Flight Holdings Ltd. under its corporate wing, along with Offshore Helicopter Technologies Ltd., operator of a flight simulator facility in St. John’s. Early the following year cHc spent $9.7 million to purchase Ranger Helicopters Canada, highly regarded for its geological services, then topped off its acquisitions with Quebec-based Viking Helicopters in early 1989. Second only to cuc in size within Canada, Viking was Quebec-based, providing Dobbin and cue with a solid blanket of services across Canada. The once regional Sealand reigned supreme over helicopter services in Canada as cHc, with annual revenues approaching $100 million and Craig Dobbin being hailed as a genius financial strategist."

"‘Today Baird is president of cuc global operations, dealing with top executives at ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and other mammoth corporations as well as heads of state throughout Europe, South America and Asia. From her Richmond, B.C., office she manages a team of 350 employees, many of them pilots and engineers g2 . unfamiliar with being directed by a female boss. Yet she commands the respect of everyone who encounters her within and beyond the corporation. Baird’s gratitude to Craig Dobbin for the opportunities and degree of support he gave her deepened through the years. Each time she appeared before the cuc board of directors to report on the activities and prospects of the firm’s global division, she ended her presentation with the statement: “By the way, I love the Chairman.”"

"Keith Stanford’s talent for knowing what information the Chairman would need long before he requested it became something of a legend within cuc. Stanford kept details of relevant business matters in an overstuffed briefcase. One day, called into a meeting at which several coc managers were present, Dobbin began firing questions at him. With each question Stanford would respond, “I have it right here,” withdraw a document from his briefcase and hand it to the Chairman, much to the amazement of the helicopter people present. Finally, one of them called across the table at Stanford, “Would you happen to have an operations manual for a Sikorsky s-76? You've got damn near everything else in there!”"

"Following that success, Clayton Parsons became the focus of varI02 ious tales concerning “Old Soldier.” They included the time Parsons reportedly worked thirty-six hours straight to relocate cuc, including aircraft, spare parts, maintenance equipment, furnishings and more, from one hangar to another on short notice. On another occasion a blizzard shut down the entire city of St. John’s, including the airport, but Clayton Parsons was at his desk promptly at 8:00 a.m., prepared to put in a full day’s work. “He is the embodiment of one of my favourite sayings,” Dobbin said in praising Parsons. “To Clayton and to me, failure is not an option.” Dobbin repeatedly challenged his employees at every level with a “Just get it done” attitude. Those who succeeded, as Clayton Parsons did, found themselves within Dobbin’s warm inner circle, free to move as far up the corporate ladder as they chose."

"Losing $50 million worth of business was upsetting enough, but losing it to the Norwegian firm was doubly galling, because cuc was not permitted to bid on helicopter services in Norway. Legal counsel advised Dobbin that cuc could appeal the contract under the provisions of the Atlantic Accord, designed to favour firms in Newfoundland and Labrador in the sharing of Hibernia and other offshore petroleum earnings. Craig Dobbin always enjoyed a battle, and he was hardly a stranger to civil litigation. He rejected the idea, however. Dragging the case through the courts was not likely to endear him to the large petroleum companies he wanted to do business with. Besides, legal arguments bored him. But wheeling and dealing—that was the source of one of the many twinkles in Craig Dobbin’s Irish eyes."

"In St. John’s, Craig Dobbin watched the situation with interest. North Sea helicopter services revenues approaching $500 million annually, for companies with whom cuc was already dealing? Now there was a prize, and it came with potential entry into the entire European market. The shaky financial condition of 81H failed to dissuade Dobbin. The company’s need for an injection of capital was nothing he hadn’t encountered over his years of building cuc. And the BiH fleet of Super Pumas and Sikorsky s-61s and s-76s was a perfect fit with cuc. Merging the two companies would be fairly easy, if he could sidestep that pesky requirement for EU citizenship. In Dobbin’s view, the U.K. Competition Commission was practi144 cally calling for him and cuc, or someone like them, to step onstage and deliver a happy ending to a dramatic situation. A couple of problems had to be overcome, of course. The first was money; the recent loss of the uN contracts had left cuc with little cash in the bank, but that small detail had never stopped Craig Dobbin before. Robert Foster’s Capital Canada firm could tap the necessary source of ready cash, Dobbin believed. And as for the small obstacle requiring Dobbin to carry an EU passport, well, he would deal with that in time."