8PILOTA

Continued on page 10
Article and Photos by Bryan Stepanian
Run Rally Run!
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white table-clothed tables, and we at FOC
appreciate the generous donation from
Banchet Flowers of Greenwich, CT.
As the cars arrived, we scattered them
around the beautiful aircraft on the tarmac.
We'd like to thank Lolita Cocina for their
continued support and for catering another
fantastic breakfast. Additionally, a big
thank you goes to XOJET for flying in one
of their Ferrari fast jets especially for us.
Mike Giordano was kind enough to take the
time to speak with our members about
XOJETs services and explain how using
XO could save them up to 50% on their
private air travel. Thank you Mike!
So the day has just begun......our mem-
bers jumped into their cars and fired up
their engines. Eduardos new GTO and
Marcelos 458 Italia get the prize for the
nicest roar upon start-up.
Wouldnt it be nice to have your first
cup of coffee on a Sunday morning sitting
on a Challenger 300 Jet? Well, that was the
case for some of our members at our May
1st event. After a week of rainy weather, we
were given a beautiful day to gather at
Westchester Airport in one of the private jet
areas to kick off our May 1st event.
XOJET flew in one of their Challenger
300's for our members to tour as they dined
on the runway. While our catered breakfast
was first class, there was no soft background
music and fresh smelling candles. We
enjoyed our Sunday breakfast with the
thundering sounds of jet engines and the
wonderfully aromatic scents of jet
fuel...something a FOC member can only
appreciate! Speaking of appreciation, the
wives and girlfriends who attended did
appreciate the beautiful flowers on the
Luxurious breakfast, rally run
and fun closed course driving.
10PILOTA
We hit the road, and after an exhilarat-
ing one hour rally, we arrived at yet another
airport in Upstate New York. This time,
the airport was reserved just for us. We
spent the afternoon racing down the vacant
runway, pairing up each time with a differ-
ent car to race. We learned a bit about
traction control, rolling starts, and not get-
ting distracted by the flag girls! Some dare-
devils thought it would be fun to jump out
of an airplane, so we took a break and
watched the sky divers come down late in
the afternoon. Only one had a near car
accident as he landed right up against a
car and his chute enveloped the entire car.
Thankfully it was his dads car.....great aim!
We all had a safe ride home and left the
day with lots of good memories from a very
unique event. Once again, we'd like to
thank our sponsors for their support: Miller
Motorcars, XOJET, Bullen Insurance,
Executive Paint Protection, Vintage
Yachting Club, and Greenwich Strategic
Capital.
Run Rally Run!
Courting new business and keeping existing customers is a
costly challenge in any economy. Yet some companies have
deied the downturn, positioning themselves for a recovery
and becoming more productive in the process. They are
using business aircraft to free themselves from commercial
airline constraints, cash in on domestic and global market
opportunities, and realize greater value than ever before.
It is a terrific working tool, says The Stewart Orga-
nizations chairman, Walter Stewart. His company has a
Flexjet Learjet 40 and Challenger 300 business aircraft at
the ready, which made it feasible for him to expand far
beyond the companys original Birmingham, Ala., cus-
tomer base. Travel is essential for us to compete and to
expand, says Stewart.
FLIGHT LOGS // REAL-LIFE BUSINESS AVIATION SUCCESS STORIES
SATELLITE
RECEIVERS, LTD./
CASH DEPOT
WEATHER
CENTRAL, LP
EZ GRILL HOMESTEADERS
LIFE COMPANY
XOJET THE SCOTTS
MIRACLE-GRO
COMPANY
PAGE 10 PAGE 8 PAGE 6 PAGE 5 PAGE 4 PAGE 2
A GAME CHANGER FOR THE
RECOVERING ECONOMY
WRITTEN AND PRODUCED
BY MARK PATIKY
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION // BUSINESS AVIATION
Vital Revenue Generator
Business aviation lierswhether they
own jet cards, fractional shares or whole
aircraftrecognize the game-changing
beneits business aircraft access provides.
To land deals, land closer to your customer.
Thats the attitude of many business peo-
ple who are convinced that business avia-
tion gives them an undeniable advantage.
Business aviation can convert hours of
travel time into hours in front of customers.
It allows companies to pursue opportuni-
ties in smaller, untapped markets far from
commercial airline hubs.
Its not a luxury or a liability, but rather a
vital asset and revenue generator. While
other companies may be retrenching, we
see tremendous competitive advantage
with our business aircraft, says Stewart.
Being there face-to-face ahead of the
competition is crucial.
Having the ability to bring customers to your companys
home turf is also extremely valuable. We use our plane to
pick up clients and bring them to our ofice, says David
Charles, Sr., president of Satellite Receivers, Ltd./Cash
Depot, which is based in Green Bay, Wis. The company,
which owns an Avantair Avanti fractional share, sells and
services ATMs nationwide. Bringing customers to its facility
has been critical to closing deals.
Phillip Swan, CEO of Kirkland, Wash.-based EZ Grill, adds,
When you have to be in places like Ponca City, Oklahoma;
Bentonville, Arkansas; Morrisville, North Carolina; and Woon-
socket, Rhode Island; you had better not depend on the airlines
FLIGHT LOG // THE SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO COMPANY
Based in Marysville, Ohio, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
uses a Dassault Falcon 50 EX and Falcon 900 to sow seeds
for success around the globe. These are business tools, just
as important to us as a lawn spreader or a delivery truck,
says Matthew Clifford, director of light operations. Company
growth is directly attributable to use of the aircraft, he says.
With an hours notice, we can have either airplane headed to
any of thousands of locations coast to coast, nonstop.
Its not unusual to make as many as ive customer or sup-
plier visits in a day, and those schedules can change on a
moments notice. We save our people time and enhance
their productivity, says Clifford. With functional, spacious,
secure cabins and satellite communications and Wi-Fi Inter-
net capability, the Falcons become airborne conference
rooms. They are equally useful for client meetings on the
ground, he adds. An unmatched advantage is the Falcons
ability to use shorter runways and still carry enough fuel for
nonstop cross-country or transatlantic lights, and the three-
engine design is an added safety feature he likes, especially
for overseas travel.
ADVERTISEMENT 2 // THE ENLIGHTENED BUSINESS TRAVELER
Director of Flight Operations Matthew Cliford
Business: 143-year-old company, global market leader in lawn
and garden products
Travel Need: Meet with vendors and customers across the
U.S. and Europe
Aircraft of Choice: Dassault Falcon 50EX and Dassault Falcon 900
ADVERTISEMENT 4 // THE ENLIGHTENED BUSINESS TRAVELER
FLIGHT LOG // XOJET
XOJET, unique in business aviation, owns all of its young
leet outright and offers top-ranking charter using only two
aircraft types: the Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna
Citation X, selected for eficiency, speed, comfort and con-
sumer appeal. XOJETs hybrid business model combines the
beneits of private jet membership and on-demand charter
service with the consistency of fractional ownership. While
one can ly to or from anywhere at on-demand charter rates,
XOJET pioneered discounted ixed-rate charter based on 88
predeined coast-to-coast routes, as well as a ly-anywhere
membership program.
CEO Blair LaCortes aircraft choices are as attractive as his
business plan. The Citation X is one of the worlds fastest civilian
aircraft, and the Challenger 300 offers superior reliability, main-
tainability and fuel eficiency, plus a spacious, wide cabin and
the ability to land at smaller airports. Each XOJET Challenger
is identically equipped with unique noise-dampening features,
built-in surround sound, serene interior dcor and Aircell Wi-Fi.
Its a huge bonus for travelers who count on saving time and
money while gaining productivity in the air, says LaCorte.
CEO Blair LaCorte
Business: Innovator in air charter
Travel Need: Competitively priced, safe and ei cient air
charter service to 5,000 locations nationwide
Aircraft of Choice: Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna
Citation X
to get you there. If its a matter of get-
ting the contract or losing it, then
the higher cost of business aviation
represents tremendous value, says
Swan, whose Flexjet Learjet 40 helps
ire up the proits.
Clear Skies Ahead
These business executives are dei-
nitely on the right light path. Recent
studies released by NEXA Advisors
LLC show that both large S&P 500
companies and the S&P SmallCap
600 small and midsize companies
achieved greater success by using
business aircrafteven during the
worst inancial recession in recent
memorythan those that do not use
business aircraft. This study reveals
that use of a business airplane is a
sign of a well-managed company, regardless of its size, says Ed
Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Asso-
ciation. The level of productivity, lexibility and eficiency business
aviation provides allows companies of all sizes to remain produc-
tive despite the tough economy. This latest study conirms it.
So what does it take to create revenue-generating, game-
changing strategies that allow you, too, to ly circles around
the competition? For many, the irst step is seeing past the
limitations of commercial travel. Read on and learn what these
forward-thinking companies have discovered about highly
customizable airborne options that put you face-to-face with
customers, prospects and vendors more often and more nim-
bly than ever before. Follow their guidance and your business
will be taking off well before the competition arrives.
WEALTH
P E O P L E I N V E S T I N G E N J OY I N G G I V I N G
GENTRY
GEOLO CAPITAL FOUNDER JOHN PRITZKER
|
FLYING HIGH WITH
XOJET
|
CATALYTIC PHILANTHROPY
|
VC AND AUTHOR
GUY KAWASAKI
|
DRIVING A BENTLEY
|
KAUAI LUXURY
INVESTING FOR COLLEGE
|
FAMILY AND FINANCES
| SPRING 2011 |
PREMIERE
ISSUE
22 GENTRY WEALTH | SPRING 2011 | www.gentrymagazine.com
PEOPLE
When they reserve the jet, we ask them if they
want to work or relax, and thats
the experience we create. If they want formal,
they get formal. If they want fun, they get fun.
TOP ROW: Stephen Lambright, Chuck Stumpf, Blair LaCorte, and Dave Cox
BOTTOM ROW: Mark Long, Bradley Stewart, and Theodore Botimer
COO DAVE COX
T
www.gentrymagazine.com | SPRING 2011 | GENTRY WEALTH 23
FINDING THE SWEET SPOT IN THE PERSONAL JET INDUSTRY
There is no such thing as a foolproof business model. But this comes close: a private aviation
company offering you the best planes in the world, your choice of destinations, and the qual-
ity youd expect on a personal jet at a fraction of the cost.
And thats exactly what XOJET, Inc. provides. Founded on the assumption that as people
stopped buying airplanes (too inefficient), they would look for alternatives, and thats where
XOJET fits in. It would meet the quality and travel needs of the most demanding clients,
thus eliminating the hassle and expense of owning a personal jet.
Clearly, this business model has paid off. The five-year-old company has experienced 50
percent overall year-over-year growth, with 70 percent year-over-year growth in NewYork,
Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In February, XOJET opened a downtown Manhattan office
at 2 Grand Central Station to support its East Coast market.
Based in Brisbane, the private avia-
tion firmis one of the fastest growing in
the world, with more than 3,000 cus-
tomers globally, including such well-
known names as Hearst Corporation,
Electronic Arts, and even celebrity ath-
letes like Shaquille ONeal.
To meet the high standards of these
clients, XOJET, owned by TPG, the worlds largest private equity firmthat owns companies
such as Neiman Marcus, refuses to lease its aircraft (unlike charter services). Instead, it
owns themand they are the best. Among its fleet of 30 super-mid jets are the high-speed
Citation X (think Ferrari or Bugatti) and the luxurious Challenger 300 (think Rolls Royce or
Bentley), two of the finest aircraft in existence.
By owning the fleet, we control efficiency and quality of service, says Chief Operating
Officer Dave Cox, a 20-year veteran of commercial aviation. XOJET is the only business avi-
ation provider to rank No. 1 or No. 2 in all twelve ARG/US platinumsafety-rating categories.
Similarly, by owning its fleet, the company can optimize aircraft usage, which means bet-
ter efficiency and cost savings, sometimes at up to 40 percent greater than standard frac-
tional or charter models.
But the innovation continues. In 2010, XOJETintroduced a unique fixed price package,
reducing the confusion and complexity of finding a charter. Flights fromSan Francisco to
the East Coast in an aircraft that holds nine passengers are priced as low as $19,000com-
pared to $40,000 or more with traditional private aviation programs. Five to eight people
can work seamlessly for six hours and pull into the airport and have a limo waiting for
them, says Bradley Stewart, president of commercial operations. If a company is paying its
executives a half million to $1 million a year, it gets expensive having themsit through the
delays of commercial airlines.
And lets not forget amenities: fromluxurious swivel leather seats and plush sofas to a
fully equipped galley kitchen and mini-viewing stations. Last year, XOJET became the only
private aviation company to offer Wi-Fi on its entire fleet. At 10,000 feet, passengers can
check stocks, answer emails, surf the Internet, or even watch movies, all while sipping
freshly brewed coffee, fine wine, or champagne. All part of the business plan.
Customers create their own experience, fromthe type of snacks they want to amenities
they need, Cox explains. When they reserve the jet, we ask themif they want to work or
relax, and thats the experience we create. If they want formal, they get formal. If they want
fun, they get fun. One client might want to prepare for a meeting, while another may want to
socialize. They can be as productive as they choose.
We give the best value and absolutely the best product, Stewart says. With 130 pilots
and more than $500 million in aircraft, its clear this company is taking off. I
FLYING
HIGH
PORTRAIT BY JACK HUTCHESON
TEXT BY KRISTINE WHITE
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