Pete Burgher of Howell, Mich., is a successful businessman whose second career would not have been nearly as successful without the use of his general aviation airplanes. A CPA, Burgher retired after 25 years with an international firm—then, in 1980, he bought Marelco Power Systems, Inc., which manufactures electrical components.

“Its business was confined to a very narrow 200-mile radius in central Michigan,” he said. After one of his employees stole a lot of the company’s money, Burgher had to decide what to do about the business. “I began a strategy of geographic diversification, which turned out to be prophetic,” he recalled. His Piper Twin Comanche made it possible.

The business grew 23 percent per year from 1980 to 1999, he explained. “We pretty much grew to be the largest manufacturer of custom, high-quality magnetic components,” building products such as transformers, inductors, and control systems. “During this period of time our markets evolved. Some markets that were viable in the early ’80s disappeared. Then automotive production changed significantly. But we grew to become dependent on the machine tool industry, and we were diversified all across the country—but primarily east of the Mississippi.”

Burgher was using his airplane to fly on business at least once each week. Members of his sales team also utilized general aviation aircraft. Over time, Burgher sold his Twin Comanche and bought a Beech Baron, which he later replaced with a Mooney. “It’s amazing how much cheaper the Mooney is to maintain than the Baron,” he observed. The president of the company flies his own Beech Bonanza A36 for company business.

“Most of our potential customers were in places not conveniently serviced by commercial air. Often, problems or opportunities would present themselves on a short-notice basis.” Only general aviation would allow them to respond quickly enough, Burgher explained. “You can’t go to Brattleboro, Vt., very conveniently from Detroit by commercial air—but you could fly there in a couple of hours. Or the Carolinas. Or Pennsylvania,” he said.

“It was simply a practical way of being upfront and quick—and very cost effective,” he added. “It would have taken us twice as long to do what we did [building the business] had we not had the ability to transport ourselves.”

In the period following the 2001 terrorist attacks, however, the entire manufacturing industry changed, Burgher said. “We strategized how to continue our growth and entered production of components for the wind industry, the silicon industry, and the oil industry—and that’s what we now depend on.”

The company’s new business strategy still requires significant travel, although more of it is via the airlines because of the longer distances involved, especially trips to Houston to call on customers in the oil industry, and to the East Coast and West Coast to visit wind-turbine businesses.

The change in direction proved very successful for the company, which grew at a rate of 40 percent per year from 2001 to 2008. “2008 was the biggest year in the company’s history,” said Burgher, who last year sold Marelco to Bertram Growth Capital LLP. Although he’s transitioning himself out of the business, he still owns his Mooney, which he said he’s using more and more for personal travel.

He found other reasons to fly his airplanes over the years. He traveled in support of about 50 airport support groups as a regional representative for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association from 1984 to 1994.

“We saved a lot of airports during that time, and many of those support groups still exist,” he said.

Burgher served as a member and chairman of Michigan Aeronautics Commission for a time, eventually visiting all of the state’s 236 airports. He also advocated for aviation in Rhode Island during 1970s, before his job moved him from Providence to Detroit. He was inducted into Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame in 1995.

Burgher has built several airplanes, including the Aventura II amphibian that he keeps in Florida. “I use it for exploring the rivers and lakes on the Panhandle, for aerial photography—all kinds of fun stuff,” he said. “I was the first person to fly an ultralight across the country, so my ultralight’s in the EAA museum. That was the best six days, 10 hours, and 12 minutes I’ve had,” he recalled. He set 56 world and national records on that 1982 flight. A 1964 Cassutt IIIM Racer that Burgher—who is an airframe and powerplant mechanic—restored is now in National Motorsports Hall of Fame Museum, he said. “I bought it thinking it was a completely flyable airplane and it was not.”

Burgher owns several other businesses that produce a variety of products related to aviation, including an electronic ignition system for homebuilts. “Electroair has almost 3,000 units in the field, with very good results,” he said. Stick It is a biodegradable temporary adhesive. An engine preservation system, marketed by Tempest, keeps crankcase from corroding. “They’re selling a couple hundred a month,” Burgher said. —Mike Collins