about us

 

 

Third generation family businesses with a primary focus on aerial firefighting.

World leaders in technology and innovation.

Since

1960

OUR STORY

“In 1960, Cliff Coulson settled in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. Back then, the family business was timber. Cliff had served on a tank crew with the Canadian Army in World War II and built on his experience working with armored vehicles and road-building equipment in Normandy.”

Bloomberg Businessweek

The origin of the Coulson Group of Companies is a history of logging in British Columbia since the 1930s. After serving in World War II, Cliff Coulson returned to his roots in British Columbia, Canada where he began working in the Forest Industry. After working various jobs in the industry, Cliff founded Coulson Forest Products Ltd. in 1960.

Under the leadership of Cliff’s son, Wayne Coulson, what was once a small logging company has evolved into a conglomerate of companies working in a variety of industries including; aviation, manufacturing, logging, dining, gaming and environmentally friendly cleaning technology.

Now, alongside his two sons, Britton and Foster, Wayne is steering the Coulson Group as they continue their quest to “find a better way” with their ever-expanding innovation and technological breakthroughs.

Safety, sustainability, viability, and environmentally responsible, are key values of the Coulson Family as they grow their businesses locally and abroad.

OUR APPROACH

Our approach to business is simple. Honesty, integrity, and safety are the guiding principals that underpin everything we do. We always ask two key questions; “How can we help the most, and how can we do it better?”

HISTORY TIMELINE

Over 60 years of innovation and diversification.

1960

1960

Coulson Forest Products (CFP) is founded by Cliff Coulson and soon after focuses on environmentally responsible timber harvesting.

1972

1972

Coulson Forest Products is granted its first forest license for the Toquart Bay area, continuing their mission to enhance post harvesting reforestation processes.

1984

1984

CFP acquires a second forest license and forms a joint venture company with the Ehattesaft Band called Hecate Logging.

1984

1984

Wayne Coulson moves into the position of General Manager to oversee logging operations.

1985

1985

Coulson Aviation is founded by the Coulson Family in Port Alberni, B.C., Canada

1989

1989

Coulson Manufacturing is founded to launch the Coulson’s wood product(s) manufacturing division.

1990

1990

Coulson Aviation USA is founded to provide aerial fire suppression aircraft to the United States Forest service.

1995

1995

High Margin Processing (HMP) and Coulson Specialties (CSL) are founded to produce value added lumber products.

1997

1997

CFP acquires a 3rd forest license and forms a joint venture company with the Toquaht First Nations called E-cha-peh Forest Resources Ltd.

1997

1997

Coulson Aero Technologies is founded to overhaul aircraft components.

2004

2004

Executive Transport Airways is founded in conjunction with Helijet International.

2004

2004

Britton Coulson joins the family business, starting in the aviation division.

2007

2007

Coulson Forest Products partners with 5 First Nation bands to purchase a TFL-54 (Tree Farm License). A tree farm license (TFL) is an area-based tenure that grants exclusive rights to harvest timber, manage, and conserve forest resources within a defined area of land.

2007

2007

Coulson Flying Tanker is founded with the purchase of the largest water bombers in the world, The Martin Mars.

2007

2007

Coulson Group of Companies partners with 52 local charities to build and operate a community dining and gaming center called Chances Rimrock.

2007

2007

Foster Coulson joins the family business, starting in the forest products division.

2010

2010

Coulson Aviation PTY is founded to support Coulson’s aerial fire suppression activities in Australia.

2012

2012

Coulson Cedar is founded to manufacture the world’s first environmentally friendly engineered cedar siding products.

2013

2013

Coulson Aviation hits a milestone with the purchase of its first C-130 Hercules aircraft for the purpose of modifying for aerial firefighting missions.

2016

2016

Coulson acquires a 4th C-130 Hercules for modification(s) to an aerial firefighting tanker.

2017

2017

Coulson acquires 6 Boeing 737-300 aircraft for modification in the Coulson FIRELINER™ development initiative.

2018

2018

Coulson Aviation begins night aerial firefighting tests in Australia.

2018

2018

Coulson Aviation carries out first test drops with their modified 737 (now known as a Coulson FIRELINER™) in San Bernardino, California.

2019

2019

Coulson Aviation purchases 5 C-130H transport planes from the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency for the purpose of custom modification into aerial firefighting tankers.

2019

2019

Coulson Aviation operates some of their 1st night aerial firefighting missions in Ballarat, Australia using night vision goggles, laser guidance tech, and custom modified supervisor helicopters.

2019

2019

Coulson Aviation is selected by the United States Air Force to install their RADS-XXL Firefighting System on the C-130 Hercules aircraft.

2020

2020

Pentagon announces Coulson Aviation is awarded a $53 million CDN contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to equip seven Lockheed Martin C-130 aircraft with firefighting equipment.

2020

2020

Coulson Aviation is awarded a 5 year aerial firefighting contract for their Boeing 737 FIRELINER™ aircraft by the United States Forest Service (USFS).

2020

2020

Australia’s NSW Rural Fire Service awards the operation and maintenance of their recently acquired B-412 fleet, as part of an existing 10-year contract with Coulson Aviation PTY.

2020

2020

Coulson Aviation is awarded its first aerial firefighting contract in Asia Pacific. with the BNPB (Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management).

2020

2020

For the first time, all Coulson aircraft are in service at the same time, fighting fires, and delivering close to 5 million gallons of water and/or retardant in the month of August alone.

2020

2020

Coulson Aviation purchases 4 Cessna Citation II C550 jets for conversion to aerial firefighting intelligence (“Birddog”) aircraft.

2020

2020

Coulson Aviation provides emergency firefighting support to Bolivia, as wildfires threaten villages.

2020

2020

Coulson Aviation becomes the largest aerial firefighting operator in Chile, and the 1st to be permitted to conduct night firefighting operations in Chile.

2021

2021

Coulson Ice Blast expands market reach with partnership deals in countries such as Korea, Malaysia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia, Lebanon, the United States, and more.

2021

2021

Coulson family, and businesses, featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, highlighting ongoing aerial firefighting missions in the State of California.

2021

2021

Coulson Aviation is deployed to Chile for the second year in a row, fighting fires in day and night operations.

2021

2021

Coulson Aviation is featured in Edison Energized for their aerial firefighting technology and processes, including the newly created QRF (Quick Reaction Force) program.

Coulson Group

4890 Cherry Creek Road
Port Alberni, B.C.
Canada V9Y 8E9

T: (250) 724-7600
F: (250) 723-7766

E: info{at}coulsongroup.com

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Coulson Group.

All Rights Reserved.

 

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