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22 | I NSIGH T • J u l y 2 0 15 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m "Whether it's a business owner coming into town for a Packer game or with a site selector looking to locate here, they make a great first impression for our community," Rai says. First flight I t all started with a tourist flight Timmerman took over Wisconsin Dells when he was 14. He was visiting the summer tourism mecca with his grandparents, who asked him what it was he really wanted to do for the day, Timmerman recalls. His answer: "I wanted to take a ride on one of the float planes." It was just a small, four-seat float plane, and Timmerman wound up in the front seat next to the pilot. During the flight, the pilot offered the controls to Timmerman and let him fly the plane for a few minutes. He was hooked. "I knew that's what I wanted to do," he says. While flying became Timmerman's fancy, it was not his first choice for a profession. Instead, Timmerman would go into law enforcement, eventually holding the postions of chief of police in Green Bay and director of public safety in Ashwaubenon. On a wall in his office at Jet Air are all the badges and insignia that Timmerman — and only Timmerman — has worn throughout his law enforcement career. e only exception: the badge worn by the dog from his K-9 unit. "When they say build it and they will come, they are not kidding," Timmerman, CEO of Jet Air Group, says of the unique opportunities that have enabled Jet Air to thrive over the years. "Some of the things we did were just to offer a convenience. We never expected them to be business opportunities." One of those conveniences arose when Jet Air received certification to work with U.S. Customs for clearance of private international flights into Green Bay. In addition to its standard fixed-base operator services such as refueling, the company also earned a special certification from both U.S. Customs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to handle and sterilize the trash — including food — from those flights. Because it holds that certification, and has acquired the specialized equipment to handle the trash from these flights, Jet Air now finds itself providing the service all across the state, from the Port of Green Bay to Volkman Field in Milwaukee. "When the cruise ships came into Green Bay from Germany a few years ago, we did all of the trash once they docked," Timmerman says. "It's not something we ever planned for, but it's an interesting opportunity." e flexibility to chase those unique opportunities has enabled Jet Air to grow from its 1969 founding in Clintonville as a small maintenance shop to a major FBO at Austin Straubel, providing fuel, maintenance, aircra conversions, charter services and flight lessons. "ey are a jewel for Northeast Wisconsin," says Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health and president of the Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce. "ey are a key gateway to our community for business leaders coming into Green Bay." While Rai does not himself fly, he has utilized the company for charter flights and says the level of service never disappoints. e company is an affiliate of the worldwide Signature Select FBO group and is the official FBO of the Green Bay Packers, with special facilities allowing players, team personnel and other celebrities quick and discreet entries and exits from the airport. Flight Rules c o n t i n u e d ONLINE: CLICK to hear Jet Air Group CEO Al Timmerman discuss how a passion for flying has resulted in growth opportunities. "Whether it's a business owner coming into town for a Packer game or with a site selector looking to locate here, they make a great first impression for our community." –Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health and president of the Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce