HEICO Corporation reported that Laurans A. Mendelson, its chairman and chief executive officer, will receive the prestigious 44th annual Howard Hughes Memorial Award from the Aero Club of Southern California during the club’s annual ceremonial event on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at The California Club in Los Angeles.
The Howard Hughes Memorial Award honors exceptional leaders who have advanced the fields of aviation or aerospace technology. Mendelson joins forty-three aviation and aerospace pioneers, including last year’s honoree Harrison Ford as well as General Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Neil Armstrong, General Jimmy Doolittle, Elon Musk, Jim Lovell, Marillyn Hewson, Captain ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and many others.
Mendelson took over HEICO’s leadership in 1990 and, together with his sons, HEICO Co-Presidents Eric Mendelson and Victor Mendelson, worked with HEICO’s remarkable Team Members to build the Company from a small South Florida provider of a few aircraft components into a rapidly-growing and highly diversified aerospace, defense and electronics company with 9,000 Team Members producing HEICO’s mission-critical products and services in 23 US states and 14 countries.
Howard Hughes’ first cousin, William R. Lummis, established the award in 1978, and the Aero Club of Southern California presents the award annually.
The Aero Club of Southern California (ACSC) is a 501(c)(3) charitable aviation industry non-profit led by volunteer officers and Board members founded to increase the public’s awareness of aviation, ACSC membership is open to everyone with an interest in aviation and space – from research and technology to piloting, education, manufacturing, commercial and military aviation, and much more.
In selecting Mendelson for the award, the Aero Club of Southern California commented, “HEICO designs, manufactures, and distributes parts for almost every major commercial, business jet, defense and space program. HEICO Corporation provides less expensive aftermarket aviation parts to replace original equipment manufacturer hardware, thereby contributing to the airlines’ competitiveness. Mr. Mendelson and HEICO Corporation have received ongoing industry recognition as aviation and defense industry leaders. Howard Hughes Memorial Award honoree Larry Mendelson ‘Keeps ‘Em Flying’.”
Laurans A. Mendelson remarked, “I am profoundly honored to receive such a prestigious award from such a prestigious organization. The Aero Club of Southern California is recognized as one of the leading aviation and aerospace organizations in the world and the idea that they would bestow this award upon me leaves me deeply humbled and grateful. I thank the Aero Club of Southern California, its officers, the selection committee and the club’s members for this special commendation.”