Bell Opens New Calgary Supply Center
Bell Helicopter opened its new Canadian Supply Centre on July 5, 2008, in Calgary, Alta. “The new facility is 53 percent larger than our old Calgary facility,” said Colin Bartole, GM of the new center. We have 38,000 square feet of space in this building, and our new location is ideal for improving our logistical capabilities.
(Left-Right) Dr Rod Thompson Director Executive Director, Strategic Development, Alberta Government; Peter Wallis, Chairman CAA; Howard Tucker, Account Manager, Bell Calgary; Gordon Harveson, Executive Director Integrated Support Solutions, Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth; Colin Bartole, General Manager of the Canadian Supply Centre, Calgary; Jim Stevenson, Calgary Deputy Mayor; Michel Legault, Director Business Development, Bell Helicopter, Mirabel; Art Hanger, Member of Parliament, Calgary NE.
(Gary Watson Photos.)
Located in the new southwest freight center at Calgary International Airport, Bell is now next door to major air-freight companies such as FedEx, Purolator and UPS. The old location was in a commercial area near the airport.
The move to the airport was aided by the Calgary Airport Authority (CAA). Said Bartole: “Stephan Poirier, vice-president of business development of the CAA, was a great help in our relocation to the airport, and is a huge supporter of our plans. We have been pleasantly surprised at how supportive and extremely helpful the CAA has been in all that we have done, and all we plan to do. Although there is no room to grow the building, a helipad is planned for the north side of the building to further enhance our accessibility and future opportunities.”
Bartole told Vertical that Bell has been shipping products from the new facility since June 24, and that the center’s design, including its seven loading docks, has greatly improved its ability to ship and receive parts. Said Bartole, “The layout of the new facility, combined with the incorporation of Six Sigma into our processes, has greatly improved our efficiency, and reduced the amount of floor space within which we function. Our location next door to all the major freight carriers opens up some interesting potentials. Our ability to get shipments directly across the ramp at a much later time than the conventional pickup deadlines is one of them. The ability to access international logistics from this location is absolutely limitless.”
Bell has four supply centers worldwide: Amsterdam, Calgary, Singapore and Fort Worth, Texas, and will be looking to utilize the Calgary facility to pursue new business opportunities. Said Gordon Harveson, executive director, integrated support solutions, Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth: “We have control over the majority of the spare parts business, as they are proprietary to the company. We tend to be very active in distributing those parts. One of the things we have looked at as a longer term growth initiative is areas where we have not historically been involved with, such as completions, engine work and customizing, as much as our competitors have. . . . Another key initiative is trying to grow support of the ex-U.S. military aircraft that have been sold around the world. This is an area where we have participated, but not been a key player. So, if you have the majority of the spare parts business already, then you have to look at other channels to grow the business. We have some other companies we have bought that are active in the U.S. and we are trying to figure out what we are going to do with them globally. We are in the midst of carrying out business studies in these areas.”
Said Michel Legault, director of business development, Bell Helicopter, Mirabel: “Now that we have more space in the new building, we are looking at expanding our capabilities. Most of our helicopters in Canada are located in the west and this facility is a great anchor point for providing our services. Should we decide to do something else, this is a good location and may be an opportunity for our affiliate companies to establish a presence in Western Canada.” – GW
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