Keeping a cool head at Kilfrost

After a career working for airlines, Patrick Strasburger joined Kilfrost, supplier of anti-icing products to the aviation industry. As senior vice-president of the Americas, he is spearheading the company's expansion in the region

How did you get into aviation?

I started working at Continental Airlines as a customer service agent in 1980 while attending college in Denver, Colorado. It was a perfect part-time job in the evenings and tied into my bachelor of science degree, aviation management.

You spent the 1990s working all over the world establishing overseas offices for Continental. How was that?

In 1989 I joined the international division of Continental Airlines and was fortunate enough to be given the assignment of opening several stations in the Caribbean. My job was to move to the destination several months in advance of the inaugural flight, work with the local authorities to establish an operating permit, airport facilities and city ticket office, and to hire a local general manager and staff. I would then stay in the country for several months to ensure a smooth start. It was good fun and I learned a lot about international business.

© Kilfrost Strasburger: fighting ice is a year-round business

What prompted you to move from a career in the airline sector to the "other side", working for a supplier?

I was fortunate to meet our chief executive Gary Lydiate and our chief operating officer Chris Blaxall last summer. Kilfrost gave me the opportunity to use my extensive industry contacts and experience to grow a successful supplier business.

You are heading Kilfrost's expansion into North America. What sort of potential is there?

There is tremendous potential for growth in the Americas for Kilfrost and we are just getting started. We have the best products in the industry and a very experienced team.

Our new environmentally friendly Sustain fluids are approved for use and will be the way of the not-too-distant future. Our product lines go way beyond commercial aviation.

The Americas is the single biggest market in the world for our products and we have built a team that will capitalise on this opportunity.

Selling de-icing products must be a seasonal business. How do your activities balance out?

During the spring and summer we are busy negotiating new contracts for the upcoming year and replying to requests for proposals from potential customers. Beginning in August, the production, logistics and customer service keep us very busy as we begin to fill orders and ensure that our customer's needs are exceeded. When the season ends in March or April we begin the planning and preparation work for the next season. Also, summer in North America is winter in South America and we have many customers in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

What are the environmental pressures facing the de-icing sector and how is Kilfrost confronting these?

We work to ensure we are doing our part to protect the environment. Our world-renowned technical team has developed the only de-icing and anti-icing products made from a renewable source, corn. We have partnered DuPont Tate & Lyle and use its Bio-PDO raw material to make TKSsustain, DFsustain and ABC-4sustain - the first-ever brand new technology fluids. We also work with airlines, airports and handling companies to understand their needs.

Describe a typical week

I don't think there is such a thing as a typical week in this business. It's very dynamic and our diverse product lines see us continually receiving requests for information from such a diverse group of different businesses that we're always kept fresh. It is fun, it is exciting and it is rewarding, and on a daily basis, always busy.

Source: Flight International