Era Aviation, Inc.

• Position: Business profile

Era has been a part of Alaska's history for almost 50 years. Next year the company will celebrate its Golden Anniversary - Alaskan helicopter pioneer and entrepreneur Carl Brady started the company in 1948 in Juneau.

Back then, it was called "Economy Helicopters" serving Southeast Alaska. When oil was discovered on the Kenai Peninsula, Brady expanded into Southcentral to service the oil industry and teamed up with Roter Aids helicopter company to keep up with the demand for his services. The companies' names were combined...and "Era" was born.

The company was soon working in remote locations throughout the state and purchased several fixed wing aircraft in 1983 to support their helicopters. It was not long before the airplanes themselves created a viable business.

In fact, Era is now the state's largest regional. airline and operates as an Alaska Airlines commuter service carrier. From Anchorage, Era serves Cordova, Homer, Illiamna, Kenai, Kodiak, Seward, Valdez and Whitehorse, as well as 17 villages in Western Alaska from Bethel.

Today Era has three major divisions, including Era Helicopters-Alaska, Era Helicopters-Gulf Coast and Era Aviation (the airline). The company serves all of Alaska and has expanded throughout the Lower 48 and overseas.

Era continues to be a major player in the state's oil industry after playing a vital role in the creation of the trans-Alaska pipeline and other key projects. An Alaskan company above all else, Era was determined to weather the economic hardships and make it through for their employees and the communities they served.

"We've stayed here in Alaska through thick and thin," explains Chuck Johnson, president of Era Aviation, Inc. "Like everyone else servicing the oil industry during the crash, we got hammered. We kept our doors open though because we didn't want to leave our home state."

Johnson is proud of the company's perseverance and Alaskan heritage. "People come and go (in...