Founded in North Platte, Nebraska in 1970 by Gary Trego, Trego Aviation, Inc. started as a family owned FBO, flight school, charter operation and aircraft maintenance facility. Gary and his wife Terry successfully led the Midwest FBO for 24 years. In 1994, they were joined by their daughter, Traci, and son-in-law, Vince Dugan.
“Traci is well known in the region as an experienced pilot, having soloed her first flight before she got her driver’s license,” said Vincent Dugan, Traci’s husband and an owner of what is now Trego-Dugan Aviation. Vincent was an aviation attorney and learned to fly when he and Traci met in 1987 in Houston. In 1994 the two moved from Houston back to Traci’s hometown in North Platte to take over the family business.
The transition brought on several changes for Trego-Dugan. The FBO began offering jet management services the same year—signifying only the beginning of many other additions to come over the next two decades.
“We opened another FBO location in Grand Island, Nebraska, in 2003; added turbo-jet 135 Charter operations in 2005; formed Airline Ground Handling services in 2008; and welcomed Air Cargo in 2021,” Vince said.
The line of diverse offerings at Trego-Dugan have resulted in immense success for the 52-year-old aviation company, and every day has been an adventure for Vince and Traci.
“What was once a hobby is now my entire life,” Vince said. “From buying our biggest competitor to handling 50,000 airline flights a year, Trego-Dugan’s success has been noted nationally.”
And indeed, it has, as the FBO caught the attention of cargo airline company Amazon Air at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We made smart decisions during the pandemic, and were thus able to retain our entire team,” Vince said. “We also worked closely with a congressional delegation to address the issues ground handling companies were facing.”
In 2021, Amazon Air called. Trego-Dugan embraced Amazon’s cargo model and has already added six Amazon air to ground facilities.
With such a varied bench of services and several impressive relationships, having the best fuel provider is a must, and Phillips 66® Aviation is that provider for Trego-Dugan.
“It’s crucial as an FBO with multiple locations and services to have a fuel provider who also has multiple refineries,” Vince said. “Phillips 66 offers just this, with numerous locations and an exceptional customer service team who is ready to aid us at any time.”
The pandemic altered the aviation industry, Vince reflects on the changes made at Trego-Dugan and the future trajectory of the FBO.
“We are seeing charter aircraft fly more than ever,” Vince said. “FBOs are the heart of the aviation industry, and customers are recognizing this.”
Ensuring that Trego-Dugan is where enthusiasm and care thrive means building a team of equally thriving individuals, and so Vince and Traci have long prioritized their employees’ professional developments.
“I always say, if you are someone who immediately looks to the sky when you hear an airplane overhead, you are meant to be in the industry,” Vince said. “We instill this attitude in our team members, so they feel fulfilled in their careers and thus take great care of our customers.”