Matthew Ranck is no stranger to Oklahoma City or to the aviation industry. He was born in OKC, and throughout his childhood he benefitted from the TWA Unaccompanied Minor service, routinely flying between Oklahoma and Indiana, where a large part of his family lives, under the supervision of those working for the airline.
Aviation kept him connected to his family, allowing him to see and keep relationships. That’s something he’s grateful to the industry for. That’s why, for Ranck, serving the aviation industry in Oklahoma is more than just business. It’s a way to give back. And it’s a way to invest in and support his community.
“Matt is as invested in Oklahoma and Oklahoma aviation as we are,” said Garver Aviation Region Leader Blake Roberson. “Garver’s been serving Oklahoma for 30 years. As we continue to invest in the state, I can’t think of anyone more fit for this role than Matt, a native Oklahoman and University of Oklahoma grad whose love for his state and years of experience with and commitment to Oklahoma airports make him an excellent resource for our airport clients in the region.”
Garver’s longstanding investment in Oklahoma and in Ranck personally, supporting his work as a teacher of high school aviation and aerospace, impressed him. “Garver wanted to invest in me investing in my community. That’s very exciting for the next half of my career,” he said.
As a member of the aviation industry, Ranck works with the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to encourage the high school aviation program, demand for which has spread across the state. Aviation aerospace is the second largest industry in Oklahoma after oil and gas, and offers young Oklahomans exciting and stable career paths both in the state and beyond its borders.
According to the OAC’s Aviation and Aerospace Economic Impact Study, Oklahoma’s 100-plus public airports bring 440,000 visitors to Oklahoma and produce nearly $44 billion in statewide economic impact each year. “If our kids aren’t being taught aviation at a young age, they’re missing a heck of an opportunity,” Ranck said. “Aviation is an incredible industry here in Oklahoma.”
Ranck sees his clients as friends and treats their communities as though they were his own. And he knows that all of the state’s airports deserve a high level of personal attention and service.
In his new position at Garver, Ranck said he has “the opportunity to continue to build a local aviation team that Oklahoma airports can trust and call on and know that they’re going to get a quality product, quality answers, and just good overall consulting services that meet their specific needs.”
