Sabin Metal Corporation: How Business Aviation Refines Sabin’s Quality of Life

With two business aviation airports close by, Sabin can run his global business from this rural location and remain within easy reach of plants far away from any airline routes in the northern regions of North Dakota, upper New York State and a remote part of Ontario, Canada. “Business aircraft have been vital to our growth,” he says. “The biggest advantage for me is time. I go to oil refineries, chemical plants and customers across the nation that are in places with little or no commercial service. Unless you have your own plane, you’re going to lose two days getting there.”

For the past 30 years, Sabin has relied on business aircraft to gain unparalleled easy access to his clients, suppliers and company facilities. He chartered at first, then acquired fractional shares in two Flight Options jets 15 years ago and has never looked back. Now he has an additional share in a PlaneSense turboprop Pilatus, which can access the shortest runways and unprepared landing strips.

The benefits of business aviation
Having access to a private plane provides the freedom to expand his business and also further his environmental interest. Sabin, who is dedicated to the preservation of endangered species, founded the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton, New York. He is also an active supporter of the Nature Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Wildlife Rescue Center of the Hamptons and the Worldwide Fund for Nature among many other conservation groups.

As a staunch conservationist, he has taken the lead to remove the tarnish from an industry not exactly known for its earth-friendly reputation. His company plants, which maintain the industry’s most stringent environmental management policies, are models for environmental and regulatory compliance, and they showcase his deep environmental concerns.

On a recent trip, Sabin departed from East Hampton’s relatively short runway in an Embraer Phenom 300 and arrived at his Scottsville, New York plant, 10 miles from Greater Rochester International airport, in just over an hour. In the afternoon, he visited a nature conservation project in Glens Falls, New York and landed back in East Hampton for dinner. “Because the jet is always available, it’s not only easy, it’s a pleasure,” he says.

Aboard a Bombardier Challenger 300, the nonstop trip to Williston, North Dakota takes just over three hours, and he touches down minutes from his plant. That’s less time than it would take to reach an airline gate and board a commercial flight. “The amount of time this saves is unbelievable,” he reports. “I bring some of my managers or customers with me. I can spend four or five hours at the plant and come back the same day. It is just so convenient. I could never do this commercially. It’s just impossible. It has made my business much more efficient, and because it’s easy to get there, I can visit more places much more often.” With high-speed Internet available during the flight, he adds, “I can do all my emails, I have all the news, I keep up with the markets, the price of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, so I can do all my work in the air.”

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