Page 28 - Southport - Reaching New Heights - Summer 2017

The Evolution of Airport

Technologies Inc.

Check out more of ATI’s massive
machinery. Click here in our
online edition at southport.ca

Raging blizzards are not generally thought of as “good for Of course, airports are equipped with more than a plastic
business.” Highways close, customers stay home instead shovel to tackle the numerous runways and taxiways
of shopping, and high winds and ice can cause damage to required for an airport. Thanks to ATI, these airports can
property. However, if snowstorms ceased to exist, Airport arm themselves with a “Snow Mauler” Plow or “Snow Wolf”
Technologies Inc. (ATI) would be out of work. For ATI, snow Blower to combat the blizzards that are all too common in
is good for business because they produce equipment for North America. The Snow Wolf, for example, has a capacity
airport snow clearing. of 7,500 tons of snow per hour, far beyond what one person
with a shovel can manage.
As many of us know all too well, snow clearing can be
a time consuming and arduous task. The average North While ATI is not the only company to carry airport snow
American complains bitterly while clearing a sidewalk or clearing equipment, they do offer a unique product:
driveways; imagine the Herculean task of clearing mounds refurbished machines. These refurbished, or “Relife,”
of snow off a busy airport like Chicago O’Hare. machines offer a significant advantage to the customer:
a Relife machine typically costs between $40,000 and
The Snow Wolf 1050, the largest wheeled snow blower $100,000 less, without sacrificing the expected lifespan of
manufactured in North America the machine.

Now in their 16th year, ATI mostly produces their own
designs, in addition to refurbishing Relife machines.

Being a tenant at Southport offers ATI several benefits.
Firstly, ATI has a good relationship with those responsible
for maintaining the runways, taxiways and aprons at the
Southport Airport. ATI’s equipment is used to perform these
tasks. In addition, having the airport so close makes it
convenient to test products in real-life situation.

28 | Southport: Reaching New Heights