A change of leadership took place at Executive Air with founder and CEO Dennis Rohlfs retiring and Fred Buttrell now in charge.

Earlier this year, TJ Holding Co. Inc., parent company of Executive Air and Med-Trans Corp., was sold by Rohlfs to Brockway Moran and Partners. Executive Air is a fixed-base operation at the Bismarck Municipal Airport, while Med-Trans, a medical transport operation, has 13 programs in eight states.

Brockway Moran and Partners, a private equity firm, hired Buttrell, who has 21 years of aviation experience, as president and CEO of TJ Holding. Up until June of this year, Buttrell was president and CEO of Comair, a company with 179 aircraft providing regional jet transportation.

Buttrell is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, served as a fighter pilot and mission commander in operations Desert Storm and Solid Shield, flying 57 combat missions. The 44-year-old held several senior positions with Delta Airlines, where he worked for more than nine years.

"Clearly, right now, I'm getting up to speed and getting to know my people. The first 30 days I've spent a lot of time on the road," said Buttrell, who makes his home in Atlanta with his wife and three children.

Buttrell has been living in a hotel while in Bismarck and has no immediate plans to leave Atlanta with his children, ages 13, 10 and 4, all in school. He added that he has established deep roots in the community he has lived in for the past 10 years.

Brockway Moran & Partners is a private equity group specializing in making investments in companies the size of TJ Holding, Buttrell said. Plans are to grow the company from a revenue prospective and increasing operating efficiency. Eventually, TJ Holding may be sold.

"Executive Air will always have a role here as being an FBO to the Bismarck airport,"Buttrell assured.

The relationship between Executive Air and the city of Bismarck has been strained for the past couple of years, culminating with Executive Air filing a $20 million discrimination lawsuit against the city. A recent summary judgment dismissed the lawsuit.

Buttrell wants to improve Executive Air's relationship with the city and hopefully come to terms on a good long-term lease and agreement on fuel operations.

"There has been a summary judgment by the court, and I'm interested in talking with the airport and city to bring resolution and bring us forward and get out of the legal process," Buttrell said.

"We definitely have to have a positive tone and relationship in order for us to be a viable business.

"Right now, it looks like the city hasn't made any decision around fueling," he said. "All we want is a free market. In order for us to be a viable business, we need a good long-term lease structure and the ability to compete on the free market. Those are two critical components."

Med-Trans is important to Brockway Moran & Partners' decision to purchase TJ Holdings, Buttrell said. Plans are to add six new helicopters to its fleet of 17 Bell helicopters in the highly competitive business of air ambulance transport. Med-Trans has offices in Bismarck and Tucson, Ariz.

Rohlfs will continue to provide direction for TJ Holding as a consultant.

"Fred Buttrell is a tremendous executive and the right person to lead our ongoing business expansion,"Rohlfs said. "After 33 years as president and CEO, I look forward to continuing to assist Fred and the management team in achieving our strategic expansion goals."