Arctic Oil & Gas Directory: Fairweather is committed to meeting the needs of the Natural Resources Industry

Leader in remote logistics is expanding at the North Slope with new aviation center

Q. What do you most want people to know about your company?

A. With over thirty years providing support for the Natural Resources Industry, Fairweather has a long history of providing creative solutions for the challenges our clients face while working in remote Alaska. We operate with integrity, holding ourselves to the highest of industry standards, while providing experienced personnel that bring value to projects. Our hallmarks are safety and creative solutions to the challenges of remote Arctic operations.

Q. Where is your company located?

A. Our main office is located at 9525 King Street, Anchorage, AK 99515

Q. What year was the company founded and by whom?

A. It was founded in 1976 by Sherron Perry. It started as a weather services company and continued to grow to meet new demands and opportunities our clients face.

Q. What is the company’s primary business sector?

A. Fairweather’s primary business sector is oil, gas and mining support. All the services Fairweather offers are in direct response to the needs of natural resource development. The primary services Fairweather offers its clients are: medical facilities, remote airport equipment, certified weather observation, weather and ice floe forecasts, scientific data collection and analysis, logistics and expediting.

Q. Are there important projects the company is currently a part of or has done recently?

A. Fairweather is building out its Deadhorse Aviation Center. This multi-modal facility features secure office space, sleeping quarters, terminals, an aircraft hanger, secure cargo handling and a full-service medical facility. The DAC campus includes 10.5 acres of new gravel. The facility has been developed to meet the growing demand for the North Slope onshore and offshore oil and gas activities.

Q. How many employees does your company have?

A. We have roughly 100 employees. We grow to as many as 160 employees during peak activity.

Q. Describe the equipment your company might use and are there any new purchases planned?

A. As a natural resources service company, we respond to our clients’ needs. We own everything from highly technical drill bits to remote runway equipment, ambulances and medical equipment.

Q. Is your company expanding any of its operations or locations?

A. Our Deadhorse Aviation Center is a significant expansion for us. This facility will offer all of our ancillary services under one roof to the North Slope area. The rest of Fairweather’s business around the state grows as our customer base grows.

Q. Is the company changing any of its services?

A. Some of our services at Deadhorse Aviation Center are new, but overall our service mix has remained the same over the past few years. As our clients’ needs continue to grow, our services will as well.

Q. What is your company’s main strength or its edge over the competition?

A. Our track record for safety is one of our proudest assets. Safety, along with integrity and ingenuity, are the reasons our customers keep coming back to us to help them meet new challenges. Our parent company, Edison Chouest Offshore, provides significant capital support and unique offshore service capabilities to assist with Arctic and Beaufort Seas offshore oil drilling operations

A. Our core clientele and market has remained unchanged over the last year. As the North Slope gears up for offshore oil production, Pt. Thompson begins producing, and the gas line gets developed. We anticipate an expansion of operations to meet the needs of the changing market. Fairweather has joint ventures with Pedro Bay, Olgoonik and Kaktovik Inupiat native corporations. These joint ventures are mutually beneficial, as Fairweather benefits from the local knowledge, while providing new jobs, education and income to these regions. These joint ventures are established for long term viability with diversification well beyond the local region.

Q. What is the most challenging job the company has undertaken? 

A. Deadhorse Aviation Center has been an ongoing challenge that is about to come to fruition. We are very excited to celebrate its opening on June 1, 2012.

Q. What are the biggest obstacles to completing work the company undertakes?

A. Reduced levels of exploration in the North Slope over the last several years have curtailed our business and growth. Fairweather is creative and continuously looks for new ways to grow our business by meeting new needs for our existing clientele, as well as for new clients. The company has weathered the 1980s and the latest slow down in production. Fairweather anticipates some good years to come as exploration picks up in the coming years.

Q. What do you see as your company’s biggest challenge in the next five years?

A. Meeting the increasing demand for services by the onshore and offshore oil and gas projects and mining operations around the state of Alaska. We believe this is an exciting time to be in the natural resource business in Alaska.

Q. Does your company have an anniversary or other landmark event coming up?

A. Fairweather will celebrate 40 years in business in 2016. We also celebrate our safety milestones continuously. Safety is a core value of Fairweather.

Q. What is the average length of time employee’s work for the company?

A. Our employees average just over six years service with over 20 percent at ten plus years of service.

Q. What is your company’s safety record? What steps does the company take to ensure a safe work environment?

A. Our safety record over the last three years is perfect with no OSHA recordable injuries or illnesses or days away from work. Our North Slope operations tool service group, serving BP Alaska drilling and well projects, has had no lost time injuries for over 18 years, dating back to January 1994. Fairweather promotes an attitude of safety so no one gets hurt. We stress to our employees the importance of staying in the moment and watching out for each other. We provide significant training for exposed workers. We conduct detailed hazard assessments on an ongoing basis, including daily task hazard assessments, daily safety meetings, weekly safety meetings and pre-job safety meetings, along with job safety analysis and job hazard analysis. We plan ahead, schedule jobs carefully and work safely.

Q. Has your company been involved in any community projects or charities events?

A. We support many events for the communities we serve, and several of our staff members volunteer on the boards of non-profit organizations. Some of the organizations we support include: United Way, the Anchorage Duct Tape Ball, the American Heart Association, Covenant House and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska. We believe strongly in giving back and supporting our local communities.

Q. Does your company have a website?

A. www.fairweather.com