Rick Garcia Built Success on Love of Flying

Rick Garcia’s love of aviation began at South Miami Senior High School when he entered the George T. Baker Aviation School program that was offered at Miami International Airport. He learned so much about the aviation industry, upon graduating high school he entered the United States Air Force, studying avionics and spending four years at MacDill in Tampa. During his third year in the Air Force he got a job at Vandenberg Airport in Tampa, and managed an avionics company for a couple of years.

In 1984 he borrowed $10,000 from his father and started his business, Gulf Coast Avionics, out of a bedroom in his home in Tampa. He purchased some inventory and ran ads in Trade-A-Plane, the aviation bible, and has run ads in that magazine for the entire 25 years he has been in business. He quickly outgrew the bedroom and found a location by Tampa International Airport. Six months later he hired a part-time secretary, who is his office manager/controller, and gradually began building his team from there.

In 1998 Hillsborough County Aviation Authority bought his property to expand TIA. In looking for another location for his business he found that the cost of doing business would be less in Lakeland, and he was on the board of Sun ‘n Fun. The Lakeland Economic Development Council was very good in helping him to relocate to Lakeland.

Today Gulf Coast Avionics, located at 3650 Drane Field Road, at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, has 23 full time employees, and is a worldwide distributor of aircraft electronics, flight instruments and pilot supplies. They also do installations and service in corporate and private aircraft.

Remembering the training that set him up in his career at the aviation school at Miami International, Rick wanted to do a similar type school here in Lakeland. In February of 2007 Rick and John Small, Polk County School Board’s senior director of workforce education, decided to explore the possibility of an aerospace academy in Polk County. The Central Florida Aerospace Academy was established and opened in 2008. It is a joint effort with Kathleen High School, Polk State College, Traviss Career Center, USF Polytechnic, Sun ‘n Fun Fly In and Gulf Coast Avionics. The Academy recently received a $1.4 million grant from NASA.

The halls of Gulf Coast Avionics are lined with awards the company has received from trade organizations, manufacturers and from our community. In addition to his leadership role at Gulf Coast Avionics, Rick has found time to be very involved in our community. He helped establish the Spanish Diversity Council, now a part of the Diversity Council of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, and was awarded the prestigious Spirit of Diversity Award in 2005. Rick serves or has served on the boards of the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, Polk Museum of Art, Sun ‘n Fun Fly In, Central Florida Aerospace Academy, Polk State College Board of Trustees and Foundation board, National Aviation Safety Foundation, West Area Adult School Advisory Board, Polk State College Workforce Education Council and Polk Vision Executive Committee. Rick is a graduate of Leadership Lakeland and Leadership Polk. Rick is a multi-engine instrument rated pilot and loves to fly his plane.

The Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce congratulates Gulf Coast Avionics Corporation as the Small Business Award winner for the month of July 2010.

Gulf Coast Avionics Corporation

3650 Drane Field Road

863/709-9714 x125

www.GCA.aero