CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: Garden State Helicopters

We’re introducing a new segment into Squawk Box that’ll highlight the services, aircraft, capabilities, and more of one of our many clients across the country. The goal is not only to shed some light on a small business and help get their name out to a potentially unfamiliar audience, but also to showcase some of the creative ways we, at Aviation Specialty Insurance, apply our expertise in a real-world setting. Our inaugural spotlight shines on Garden State Helicopters (GSH) out of Lincoln, New Jersey.

Mike Pirot (proprietor of GSH) and I first connected in June 2016 when Mike was looking to start a helicopter flight school. Mike and I worked together for a few weeks discussing exposures, what to look out for, expected insurance costs, rental agreements, and many other items. We consulted with his aircraft lessor to ensure all insurance requirements were met per the terms of the lease, and before too long Garden State Helicopters was off the ground.

Over the past year, Mike has steadily grown the business, hired additional pilots, and expanded his services. With growth comes change, and Mike had to adapt in order to keep pace. This meant meeting vendor insurance requirements via insurance certificates, naming proper pilots, and soliciting sightseeing contracts. Those new initiatives needed quick turnarounds for documents, and we certainly were not going to slow his progress down.

In fact, we pride ourselves on being the fastest responders in the game, a notion that didn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated with Mike: “Thank you my man, you get a gold star for fastest service from an agent ever.” Today, GSH is thriving. They’ve recently added a second aircraft with twice as much seating capacity and doubled their output, and they are now one of the fastest-growing tour operators in the New Jersey area.

For more information or to schedule a ride/lesson, feel free to contact them at GardenStateHelicopters.com. Tell Mike we sent you!