Jet It and JetClub cofounders Glenn Gonzales and Vishal Hiremath have been recognized by Ernest and Young for starting and growing a hybrid ownership company based on the HondaJet series.
The pair won the prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 Southeast Award.
“An amazing recognition for the entire Jet It and JetClub teams,” Gonzales said of the award. “Vishal and I are so proud of the endless achievements that each team member has made happen.”
What is Hybrid Ownership?
Jet It and European sister company JetClub offer what they call “hybrid ownership.” Owners can choose to purchase one of six plans, from 10- to 50-percent ownership of the $5.4 million HondaJet Elite S, providing anywhere from 25 to 130 days of use.
Unlike other fractional ownership models, Jet It/JetClub allows owners to book the airplanes for an entire day rather than strictly by the hour. Customers won’t necessarily fly on the exact airplane they own. It could be any tail number in the fleet.
Another unique offering that Jet It provides is the ability for owners to acquire a HondaJet HA-420 type rating and fly the jet themselves as part of the Red Jet Squadron.
Where They Came From
Jet It opened for business in 2018 and has already placed 10 HondaJets into operation. The company has an additional 10 HondaJets on order and Gonzales said he expects the next delivery of a HondaJet Elilte S this month.
Both Gonzales and Hiremath previously worked for Honda Aircraft Company and Gulfstream Corporation. Gonzales holds an MBA from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina and he said he spent several years studying the market viability for the Jet It concept prior to starting the company.
With this achievement, Gonzales and Hiremath are eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2021 National Award. This year’s winners will be announced at the Strategic Growth Forum on November 13.
Ernest and Young has recognized successful entrepreneurs in more than 60 countries for the past 35 years and the winners of the awards become members of an exclusive network of industry leaders to whom they can reach out for insight and advise.
Previous winners include:
- Howard Schultz of Starbucks Corporation
- Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn
- Sara Blakely of SPANX, Inc.
Gonazles and Hiremath recognize that continued success won’t come without hard work.
“On the way to our goal of changing how people travel around the world there will be many more problems to solve, challenges to overcome, and long nights to endure,” Hiremath said.
