Avionics News April 2013 - 38

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Willie Hutson of Aerotex International

As sales manager at
Aerotex, what does
that mean?

I’m the longest-employed salesman at Aerotex, other than Bobby
Mason, the owner of the company.

How long have you
worked at Aerotex?

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erotex International Inc. was
formed in 1994, to be a quality source to the corporate and
regional airline industry. In the following years, Aerotex came to support the
government/military marketplace, as
well. In addition to being a supplier
of certified rotables, avionics, instruments and consumables, Aerotex offers its clients solutions for inventory
management. Located close to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport,
Aerotex maintains its extensive inventory in a more than 10,000-square-foot
warehouse in Lewisville, Texas. Aerotex
also has branch offices in Tempe, Ariz.,
and Birmingham, Ala.
Recently, Patricia Luebke, Avionics News
contributor, spoke with Willie Hutson to
learn more about his work at Aerotex.
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2013

With...

I’ve been with Aerotex for 17 years,
starting in 1996. Bobby started the
company in mid-1994, and I came
along a year and a half later. Both of
us had a previous background in aviation, but this was a new adventure.
Bobby and I grew up together on the
same street in Memphis. After high
school, we went separate ways but
would touch base occasionally. It’s
interesting we both ended up in the
same area of Dallas and have now
worked together this long.

Where were you prior
to Aerotex?

My first job in aviation was shortly after high school in Memphis.
I was packing boxes for Memphis
Avionics, which later became the
Memphis Group. Two years later, in
1974, I was given the opportunity
to move to Dallas in a sales position
for a newly formed subsidiary of
the company, Mid-America Avionics
Distributors, which was a wholesaler for King Radio at the time. This
went well for about seven years until
changes occurred in the company.
Rather than move back to Memphis,
I took a position with Castleberry

Instruments and was there for about
a year and a half.
Although I had the opportunity to work with a couple of great
companies in aviation, I succumbed
to the lure of a restaurant franchise and purchased one with
Kettle Restaurants, opening a unit
in Lewisville in 1984. I did this for
almost 10 years before selling it.
This certainly made me fully appreciate the aviation parts business. In
1995, I got back in aviation at a radio
shop at Addison Airport, Aeroplace
Avionics, promoting its repair capabilities. It wasn’t long after that, I
went to work at Aerotex.

What’s a typical
day for you?

Most of my time is spent taking
and making sales calls, but I try to visit
customers as often as possible. I work
our booth at the occasional trade
show, such as the AEA International
Convention. Aerotex purchased a
2008 Cessna Turbo 182 a couple of
years ago, and it has made getting
around to our customers a lot easier.

When did you earn your
pilot’s license?

I got my license in 1971, two days
after my 17th birthday. My brother
was a private pilot and was responsible for my early interest in flying.
During the time I was out of aviation,
I only flew a few times a year, so it’s
been enjoyable getting back into flying more.

Avionics News April 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News April 2013