Connecting Our Community

Million Air Medford focuses on serving individuals, businesses and the local community

Story by Valerie Coulman

Photography provided by the Jackson County Friends of the Animal Shelter

When driving past the airport complex in Medford, and amid all the construction, quietly sits the offices of Million Air Medford, a company focused on providing premier FBO (fixed-base operator) services and amenities to private, business, and commercial aviation teams traveling through the Rogue Valley.

“We’re kind of mysterious,” laughs Danielle Olson, Marketing Assistant for Million Air Medford. She points out that they have to be in order to protect the confidentiality of private individuals and government contractors alike. But there’s an upside too, says Olson, that lets them find fun ways to connect with and support the community. “How can we use this cool mystique we have to benefit others?”

Pilots … and Puppies?

“The best thing you can say about our staff,” says Joe Keith, President of Million Air Medford, “is that everybody who works here is really nice. It’s really true. … You hire good people and train them and get out of their way.” “And we’re all big animal lovers here,” adds Olson. So when the idea came up to partner with the Jackson County Friends of the Animal Shelter (see side bar) for a photo shoot, they were excited to team up. “We like to partner with others,” says Keith, “and they [the staff] were only too excited to have the dogs and cats here.”

“We quietly do a lot of things,” adds Keith. From their support of the Rogue Valley Flying Club to the connections they maintain with area businesses, says Olson, “We want to portray ourselves and the businesses of this community in the best possible light.” Their offices provide the perfect gateway to connect their customers with the sights and services of the Rogue Valley during their stays.

Business Growth

“Business is typically going to come in on the back of a private jet,” points out Keith. When business owners are looking to set up shop in the Rogue Valley, Keith and Million Air Medford’s staff know they are in a prime position to give the best possible first impression of the valley with stellar service, professional staff, and the relaxed upscale ambiance of their facilities. Their building provides services to pilots and flight crews that cover hotel and car arrangements, catering, a pilot lounge and theater, a quiet room, and other amenities, along, of course, with aircraft fueling, maintenance, a weather room, and hanger facilities.

Beyond Business

“In Oregon, we’re one of the biggest bases for serving firefighters,” says Keith. “We’ve made a concerted effort in the last five or six years to become that.” In fact, they are one of only three main bases on the West Coast (the others are Moses Lake, WA and Merced, CA) capable of servicing DC10s with fuel and fire retardant “mud” used in fighting forest fires, and hope to expand to be able to service 747 jets in the near future. “We don’t like to see fires,” says Keith, “but if they’re going to happen, we want to be in a position to support them [the fire crews].” He is proud of their record on the ground for prompt turn-around as they support firefighting efforts. “Tanker crews don’t have to wait.”

Dreaming Big

Million Air Medford is always looking for ways to better serve their customers and community, says Keith. And within their company, they encourage their 25 full-time employees to look ahead and plan goals through something they call the Dream Manager Program. “Every person who works here,” says Keith, “has the chance to meet with a dream manager once a month and move towards their goals.”

Those employee successes are tracked on a Dream Wall in their offices where each completed goal is documented on an office mural. Whether financial, educational, vocational or personal, the wall is filling up. “We consider ourselves a farm team. We bring on people and help them reach their potential and help them grow.” They have launched people into a variety of fields, says Keith, including employees who have gone on to be teachers, police officers, private business owners, or into the military.

The Bottom Line

From their own daily business focus on providing top-notch FBO services to a day spent having a fun photo shoot to support a local cause, “if we can throw our name behind good things,” says Keith, “we’re glad to.”

Million Air Medford

2040 Milligan Way, Medford
541-842-2254

www.millionairmfr.com