While many see Thompson’s cold climate as a liability, Troy Ramnath told the Thompson Chamber of Commerce Feb. 20 that he considers the weather to be a valuable asset.
For the past four years, Ramnath has been the general manager of MDS AeroTest’s GLACIER facility jet engine testing facility, where manufacturers Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney Canada have been conducting testing since 2010.
The Thompson region’s subarctic climate allows MDS to perform comprehensive icing certification and cold start trials to help gauge the overall performance and durability of their clients’ jet engines.
“Within the last nine years we’ve managed to do 12 test campaigns and each campaign can last two months or it can last a whole year,” he said. “Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce, they’re major competitors and their new technology development was here in Thompson.”
Near the end of his presentation on Wednesday, Ramnath mentioned that MDS is seriously talking about installing a second testing bed in the Thompson area over the next two years to accommodate engines with different thrust classes.
“So that’s a huge increase to our operability and to the community at large,” he told chamber members. “Whenever there’s a test in progress you’re bringing 20-30 [additional] people to site, so we’re going to have up to 60 people on site, which means rental cars, hotels, going out, enjoying the festivities, all that sort of good stuff.”
When chamber members asked how they can help facilitate the expansion of Thompson’s aerospace industry, Ramnath responded by saying that they could make sure that local amenities like hotel rooms and rental cars are widely available for their test crews and visiting clients.
Ramnath also said the chamber could help MDS court other other prominent companies by sharing their business contacts, since these organizations mostly perform their own local cold weather testing on an ad hoc basis.
“If Ford is here or Honda or whomever and they need the same thing … why don’t they collaborate?” he said. “That’s what Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce did. It’s a win-win. As long as it’s managed accordingly, then anything can happen.”
