Thirty-one years ago, a father/son duo founded Essential Turbines Inc. (ETI) on a wing and a prayer, as the saying goes.
It was 1994 in Dorval, Quebec, and the fledgling maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) shop cut its teeth maintaining the Rolls-Royce (Allison) M250 turboshaft engine, primarily used in helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft. Later, it added the Rolls-Royce RR300 turboshaft engine, specifically designed for light helicopters, to its growing repertoire of capabilities.
Co-founders Michael F. Guntner Sr. and his son, Michael E. Guntner Jr., heard plenty of discouraging comments from onlookers who believed the new enterprise was destined to fail. Instead, they put their mind to delivering top notch service to commercial, government and military customers, guided by the tenet that “quality isn’t optional – it’s essential.”
Now, more than three decades later, it’s the Guntner family that’s having the last laugh.
Not only is ETI thriving in Dorval, but a second location was opened in Surrey, B.C., in 2018, and its first U.S. facility in Mesa, Arizona, in 2023.
In May 2024, Swift Anchor Holdings (SAH) completed a strategic investment in ETI, a transaction which saw Michael E. Guntner Jr. move from the president’s role to that of shareholder and board member. He was succeeded in his leadership role by Gannon Gambeski, ETI’s current president and CEO, and partner at SAH.
With a fresh influx of capital and the same rock-solid dedication to quality service, ETI is positioning itself for continued growth.
“We’ve grown by double digits over the last few years in market capture,” Gambeski told Vertical in a recent interview. “Based on reputation, we joined the Rolls-Royce FIRST Network in 2023. That makes us part of a stronger network.”
That group includes more than 30 authorized M250 and RR300 engine service facilities around the world. ETI’s inclusion in the FIRST Network recognizes the company’s proven expertise in M250/RR300 AOG (aircraft on ground) services; 24-hour troubleshooting; engine conversions and upgrades; rental, exchange and outright sale assets; surplus inventory purchases; and pre-purchase helicopter and engine inspections. The company offers three options for replacement engine parts: new OEM (original equipment manufacturer) options, overhauled and time-continued parts, and new PMA (parts manufacturer approval) selections.
Facing forward, ETI is focused on strategic expansion. In fact, Gambeski feels the company has the potential to more than double in size over the next five years.
“We’re aiming to grow our core customer base and obtain more market share for the M250/RR300 engines,” he said. “We’re also looking to expand our capabilities to new turboshaft engines — Pratt & Whitney Canada, Safran – so we can align our growth with our customers.”
Establishing the Arizona shop was a key move that allows ETI to thoroughly service the U.S. market. That location, in particular, will be focused on developing opportunities with new engine platforms, looking to partner with primes and OEMs, as well as operators.
Along the same lines, Gambeski said the company’s next big move will “expand geography and capability in backshop and component repair.”
In April 2025, ETI announced it had reached an agreement with ITP Aero to acquire AeroMaritime Mediterranean, a Malta-based aerospace MRO specializing in M250 and RR300 engines. For four decades, AeroMaritime — a Rolls-Royce authorized maintenance, repair and overhaul center (AMROC) — has served civil and military operators.
The acquisition is strategic for ETI, said Gambeski. The deal closed on July 18, 2025.
“This represents a gateway to Europe and Africa; it doubles our size and expands our capacity.”
He continued: “As we expand, we are looking to invest in additional capabilities, possibly M&A [mergers and acquisitions] in component repair and overhaul, allowing faster turn times for our clients. We’re looking to add both capability and skill set.”
Now, with close to 100 employees around the world (including those who work at AeroMaritime in Malta), ETI is well positioned to meet the growing global demand for M250 and RR300 MRO services. In total, there are more than 12,000 of those engine types in service worldwide.
“These engines have a high use with a broad base of applications,” continued Gambeski. “There is a high utilization rate among the commercial fleet, plus military applications, government, medevac and firefighting.”
Experience is the difference
The bedrock of ETI is experience. Many team members in Dorval and Surrey are long-term employees who began turning wrenches in the shop and are now engine program managers.
“As we continue to invest in our people, we are also focused on operational excellence,” said Gambeski. “From a business operations perspective, we continue to invest in key talent and work behind the scenes to deliver for our customers.”
He added that although ETI has ambitious growth plans, it will never compromise its customer-centric values.
“Folks who run these engines can call up and speak to someone who knows the engine. They can speak to a real person with answers. Communication is important, so we take the extra time to inform our customers about how we can take their work package and speed it up, be creative, stay flexible. We understand how important that engine is to their livelihood. We want to keep their aircraft flying.”
In the MRO space, quality is number one. At ETI, that means a product doesn’t go out the door unless it meets the company’s strict standards.
“Everyone here knows what they need to do,” said Gambeski. “Our team lives it day in and day out. I see them out on the shop floor, looking at an engine, and they live and breathe quality. They make it a major point.”
Aside from expertise and quality, ETI delivers power.
“Our team has a lot of pride in what we deliver from the shop,” continued Gambeski. “One time, we received an engine from a new customer. We got it done, sent it back, and they called us up to say we really delivered a ‘stump puller.’ Engine power is important, as well as quality.”
Another ETI customer flies air medical missions. Gambeski said they require testing to make sure their engines are within the correct power limits.
“Their pilots are happy with our quality and timely workmanship. When they fly, they notice a power difference. We know our customers are flying in adverse conditions, with multiple cycles, and they rely on this engine day in and day out.”
As ETI grows, quality will never be optional – it will always be essential.
“What we want to do is make sure we continue to service our customers as a 30-year business, while we look to grow with new customers and strategic partnerships,” concluded Gambeski.
“While we’re built on solid history, we’re also targeting expansion to new areas – both geographic and capability-wise – with a drive to invest in the small turboshaft market. We have a lot of room to grow in our current businesses, but we’re definitely planning to add more expertise.”