2016 AMT Next Gen Award: Joshua Temple Krotec

Joshua Temple Krotec, 38, is Senior Vice President for First Aviation Services Inc. in Westport, CT.

Krotec has been infatuated with airplanes since he was a boy. He saved enough from summer jobs to take flying lessons and earned his private pilot's license between his sophomore and junior years, followed by his instrument rating a few months later. With an internship at First Equity Development that lead to a full-time position Krotec served as a financial analyst for mergers in the aviation industry.

While no one single person was a mentor, he followed the adage, Do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life, and says,"It appears that following one’s passion drives a dedication, work-ethic, and desire to continuously learn that ultimately fuels the creativity, innovation, and leadership skills that have contributed to professional success."

Krotec transferred to Aerospace Products International, Inc. (API) in 2003. At API, he took over the management of the company’s fledgling supply chain programs unit and grew it into a $40 million business by signing long-term agreements with aviation companies such as Lufthansa, Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, Cirrus, and Dassault Falcon Jet. Later, after First Aviation acquired Piedmont Propulsion Systems and Aerospace Turbine Rotables in late 2009, he shifted back to the First Aviation corporate office to help incorporate these MRO businesses into First Aviation, divest API, and to take over responsibility for business development for First Aviation’s MRO companies. In the five-plus years since, the company has also started a new PMA parts business, Evolution Aerospace. Krotec currently serves as senior vice president, and is responsible for general management support for each of the subsidiaries, corporate mergers and acquisitions, oversight of all business development activities, and government and industry relations.

He attended the University of Pennsylvania as a member of its Management and Technology Program. He earned two bachelor's degrees: a B.S. in engineering from Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science; and a B.S. in economics from The Wharton School. He majored in systems science and engineering with a focus on logistics systems as an engineering student. He concentrated in finance and accounting at Wharton.  As an undergraduate, he was named a Joseph Wharton Scholar, a Nelson Foundation Scholar, and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Later, he returned to Penn (Wharton) to earn a MBA, with a concentration in strategic management and marketing, graduating with Dean’s List honors.

He is proud that First Aviation was named MRO of the Year for 2016 by Aviation Week. The company was cited for its advocacy work on Capitol Hill and at the Department of Defense. 

To give back to the industry, he is involved in Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA), National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and Regional Airline Association (RAA). He attends the various shows and is a frequent guest speaker. He serves as the chairman of the Government Affairs Committee for ARSA, and as a member of the board of RAA’s Associate Member Council. He is a vocal supporter of the rights to Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) conveyed to aircraft owners via 14 C.F.R. 21.50(b) and related regulations, FAA Orders, and FAA Policy Statements. He believes that owner/operator rights to ICA are critically important to the safe and economical operation of all aircraft. He regularly contacts various divisions of the FAA (as well as with colleagues at ARSA, MARPA, and RAA) in order to ensure that FAA consistently enforces ICA rules and protects owner/operator ICA rights against anti-competitive OEM actions.   

"My immediate career goals are to see (and enjoy) the fruits of First Aviation’s new product investments and advocacy efforts. We have spent the past few years re-investing all profits into new facilities, tooling/equipment, training, employee recruitment, and marketing to expand our MRO operations into next generation aircraft such as the ATR42/72-600 series, T-6 Texan II, and Bombardier Challenger 300/350.   Furthermore, our advocacy efforts with Congress and DOD could result in hundreds of billions of dollars of aircraft MRO work being released for competition to the commercial MRO market, providing First Aviation and the entire commercial MRO industry with tremendous growth opportunities."