Avia NG Airport Consultants land at R+T Park

The Captain has turned off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign, indicating it’s time to stand up and welcome Avia NG Airport Consultants as the newest tenants of the David Johnston Research + Technology Park. The Canadian-based consultancy recently moved its Kitchener-based office to the evolv1 building in R+T Park.

Founded in 2018, Avia NG is one of Canada’s leading dedicated aviation consulting firms that serve airports, government, and private clients across Canada and around the world. In addition to their Waterloo office, Avia NG also has teams based in Southampton, Toronto, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Gene Cabral joined the company as its first CEO three years ago, after spending the last 30 years in the aviation industry. Cabral was attracted to the company for its unique position as an aviation-focused consultancy and for its reputation, carefully crafted and curated by the incredible work of the founding members and engineers during the early years of the company.

“We are a Canadian, employee-owned company, and we coin ourselves as a pure play aviation consulting company. That means aviation is everything that we do. Other consulting firms might do civil roads or other infrastructure. Our bread and butter is aviation,” he says.

Avia NG specializes in airport planning and engineering, contract administration, and construction phase services and management. Each project is unique to its location and requirements, from runway extensions and terminal buildings to heliport design and construction.

“We work with some of the largest airports, like Toronto Pearson, to some of the smallest rural communities within Canada. We work coast to coast in Canada and have active projects in the Caribbean, including the brand new terminal opening at Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport in Anguilla in December,” Cabral says.

Collaboration is critical to the projects Avia NG takes on, and Cabral says the team has earned a reputation for being there from project start to sign-off.

“It was the dynamics of where the building is located, how it operates, the sustainability aspect of the building, the amenities, and quite frankly, just the facilities inside and out. It’s a perfect fit for us.”

~ Gene Cabral, CEO

“One of the reasons that many of our clients are attracted back to us is our bench strength. We have over 500 combined years of experience in this space and can deliver tailored solutions,” he says.

The company has grown that bench from ten employees in 2018 to over 80 across Canada today. While Avia NG is relatively small compared to general consulting companies, Cabral says having almost a hundred specialists helps the company stand out from the competition.

“Whether we’re working on a new runway in a constrained space or modernizing airport infrastructure, we have a deep understanding of the best practices to put forward the best work for our clients,” Cabral says.

The company’s five-year strategic plan inspired Avia NG’s flight path to R+T Park.

“Growth is one of our goals, and our offices are a vital component to accommodating that growth. We’re adding to our team and finding the right place to house our employee base is important. We had outgrown our previous Kitchener-based office and had started to investigate other potential locations,” he says.

R+T Park was one of the proposed locations, and the opportunity to move into Evolv1 sealed the deal.

“The building was a large part of what attracted our team to the R+T Park,” Cabral says. “It was the dynamics of where the building is located, how it operates, the sustainability aspect of the building, the amenities, and quite frankly, just the facilities inside and out. It’s a perfect fit for us.”

“The LRT stops right outside of the building, and our team is taking advantage of that. They’re also looking forward to cycling and walking to work in the spring.  I try to get out every day, at least for a 15 to 30-minute walk—it’s absolutely wonderful.”

~ Gene Cabral, CEO

The new office is strategically located, enabling Avia NG to serve both its rural and urban Ontario-based clients more effectively and efficiently. One example is the recent work at the Region of Waterloo International Airport.

“We worked closely with the airport and partners to design and oversee the development of the upgraded terminal. They have been a fantastic client of ours,” he says. “We also like being closer to the University of Waterloo, where much of our talent has and continues to come from.”

Access to public transportation and walking and cycling paths is an added benefit for the Avia NG team.

“The LRT stops right outside of the building, and our team is taking advantage of that. They’re also looking forward to cycling and walking to work in the spring.  I try to get out every day, at least for a 15 to 30-minute walk—it’s absolutely wonderful,” Cabral says.