Aviation Thriving in Polk County on National Aviation Day, Bright Future Ahead

Commerical air service, cargo operations and avionic experts, to name a few, are the backbone of Polk County’s soaring aviation industry.

Polk County’s airports account for nearly $2 billion in economic impact in Polk County, according to the 2022 Florida Statewide Aviation Economic Impact Study. Local companies and organizations, along with several educational institutions, account for some of that. All are celebrated on National Aviation Day, August 19. 

The Central Florida Development Council sat down with the heads of three local businesses to discuss aviation and aerospace. This is a sector it focuses on in Polk County and Central Florida. They are:  

• Gene Conrad, President & CEO of the Aerospace Center for Excellence & SUN ‘n’ FUN Aerospace Expo

• Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. H.D. “Jake” Polumbo, founder of Two Blue Aces, a strategy, leadership and solutions consulting firm. 

• Rick Garcia, President & CEO of Gulf Coast Avionics.  

Following are their thoughts on this growing and important sector. 

Aviation’s Importance on National Aviation Day

QUESTION: How important is the aviation/aerospace sector to Polk County and Central Florida? 

GARCIA: VERY important. Polk County has always had an aerospace industry. From Piper Aircraft to all the flight schools, Central Florida Aerospace Academy, SUN ’n’ FUN Fly In & Museum, and now an airline (Avelo Airlines, which just started offering commercial passenger service out of Lakeland Linder International Airport).   

POLUMBO: Aviation/aerospace is one of our most important industries for economic growth and higher-paying jobs. We shouldn’t take our eyes off this sector and shoot for the moon when seeking new companies and businesses in the area.  

CONRAD: Extremely important as aviation/aerospace generates over $1.9 billion in economic impact annually for Polk County and directly supports over 6,000 local jobs. 

Focusing on the Sky

QUESTION: How does your company/organization work to increase the focus on this sector?  

POLUMBO: Two Blue Aces consulting specializes in the aviation/aerospace sectors. It’s truly one of the areas where our team qualifies as “subject matter experts.” We are currently on the business development and strategy teams for a couple major companies in the U.S. and Canada. Our consultants specialize in the high-tech STEM-oriented part of aerospace. And we’re still very active in the training, modeling and simulation part of aviation.  

CONRAD: At the Aerospace Center for Excellence, our mission is to Engage, Educate and Accelerate the next generation of aerospace professionals. We are doing that by providing educational programming that starts in the earliest ages and follows through adulthood. Our mantra is “Cradle to Cockpit.” 

GARCIA: Gulf Coast Avionics is very involved in the aviation community in Polk County. We even hire students with certifications and degrees from local programs. 

Personal Involvement

QUESTION: In what way are you involved in helping others in this sector, whether it’s serving on aviation committees, mentoring youth, etc.?  

CONRAD: Many on my team serve and lead on various boards and committees here in Polk County and abroad that focus on aviation and aerospace education. (Conrad is the former chair of the CFDC’s Aviation Committee and current president of its board of directors. He serves as a mentor to many, including Kris Hallstrand, who took over as Director of Lakeland Linder International Airport after Conrad left for his current role.) 

GARCIA: In addition to my role as President & CEO of the company I founded in 1984 to sell, install and repair aircraft electronics, I founded the Central Florida Aerospace Academy and the Polk State College Aerospace program. I’m the current chair of the CFDC’s Aviation Committee and the board of the Aerospace Center for Excellence. I’ve served on the board of trustees of Polk State College and the SUN ’n’ FUN Fly In.  

POLUMBO: I’ve served as chairman of the CFDC’s board of directors, and with Southeastern University’s Aviation Program. I now serve as the Operations and Safety Committee Chairman at Brown’s Seaplane Base and on the Winter Haven Airport Safety Committee.  Other consultants at Two Blue Aces serve on the Governor’s Florida Defense Support Committee, the Tampa Bay Defense Alliance and on the South Florida Defense Alliance. 

Adding to the Sector

QUESTION: If you could add one element to this sector that would benefit Polk County and Central Florida, what would it be? 

GARCIA: More aviation education.   

POLUMBO: We simply must increase our investments in the educational requirements needed in the Aviation/Aerospace sectors. And we should market our capabilities better than we currently do.  When you consider how unique our ‘academic stack’ is here in Polk County, we should be singing our own praises much louder than we do. 

CONRAD: All of aviation and aerospace is represented here in Polk County in one shape, size or fashion. But what we really need is a better appreciation and awareness for what we have and the benefit that it provides to Polk County citizens. 

Economic Development

QUESTION: How important is this sector to economic development in Polk County?  

POLUMBO: Aviation/Aerospace has been a strategic initiative for Polk County and Central Florida for a number of years now. Given the growth of these sectors across the state of Florida, we should double our efforts to bring high-skill, high-wage aviation industry jobs to Polk County. And, try to synchronize efforts by the state and county in our area, especially in test facilities like Florida SunTrax. 

CONRAD: This sector is critically important as we need to continue the diversification of our Polk County economy. 

GARCIA: It is very important to the growth of the county and the region. Increased capacity within the sector furthers Polk’s industry diversification. In addition, more employment in aerospace continues to lead as higher-wage, higher-skills job opporunitites for citizens.

The Future

QUESTION: What does the future look like for aviation/aerospace in Polk County?  

CONRAD: The future has never been brighter for aviation/aerospace in Polk County. We need to continue to invest and build on our successes at our airports, our educational institutions and organizations. And, continue to support our world class SUN ’n’ FUN Fly-In. 

GARCIA: Very good, growing every day.   

POLUMBO: The future looks bright for us here in the center of the State.  We need to move forward rapidly with the design and development of Winter Haven High School’s new campus for the Central Florida Aerospace Academy. Including the Aspiring Aviators Aero Club at the airport. There are hundreds of kids on the waiting list for this new high school campus. If we continue to focus on our strengths, fully resource our schools, and encourage kids to select STEM-related courses, our local economies will benefit immensely. 

In summary, it’s safe to say, the outlook of aviation in Polk County is beyond promising. National Aviation Day will continue to be a special day to be celebrated in the area for years to come.