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Vincent Wolanin

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Vincent Wolanin
Vincent Wolanin (cropped)
Born
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
EducationPhiladelphia University
Union College
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, record producer, racquetball player

Vincent M. Wolanin (/woʊˈlænɪn/;) is an American entrepreneur, record producer, and former professional racquetball player from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Early life and education

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Vincent M. Wolanin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Julia Solecki Wolanin and Vincent J. Wolanin, a state police detective. He has one brother, Gregory.[1][2] Wolanin was educated at Father Judge High School, a Roman Catholic high school in Philadelphia. Father Judge later inducted him into their hall of fame in 2004.[3] He gained his bachelor's degree from Philadelphia University in 1969 before attending graduate school at Union College.[1]

During his undergraduate career, Wolanin was a member of both the Rams’ basketball and baseball teams, becoming a star pitcher for the latter. Wolanin's freshman season saw him emerge as the winning pitcher for four of the team's five victories, including a game against Rutgers that represented the Rams’ first-ever win against a major public university. He was awarded the university's lifetime innovation award in 2010 and inducted into the university's athletics hall of fame in 2012.[4]

Career

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Construction

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Shortly after graduating from Philadelphia University, Wolanin began a wholesale building materials business. The company supplied materials at high volume and shipped them directly to clients’ building sites, thereby bypassing the need for a warehouse. The construction arm of the business emerged when Wolanin secured a contract from a building materials client that was struggling to stay on schedule. An agreement was reached whereby the developer would be free to not pay Wolanin if the work was unsatisfactory. However, successfully completing the sections would result in the developer awarding the company as much work as it could accomplish.[5]

Currently, Bethlehem Construction Corporation develops real estate across the United States with a focus on New York and Florida. In 1993 they constructed the world headquarters for fashion retailer Chico's.[6] By 1994, it was estimated that they owned a total of 528,000 square feet of commercial space, valued at an estimated $42.4 million (equivalent to $87.16 million in 2023).[7]

Music industry

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Throughout the 1990s Wolanin managed a number of rock acts, including Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe and Brian Howe of Bad Company.[8][9] During this time, Wolanin also began producing records, working with accomplished session musicians such as The Funk Brothers' Bob Babbitt.[10][11]

Portsmouth F.C.

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In 1997, Wolanin was involved in a bid to purchase Portsmouth Football Club with Brian Howe. Wolanin stood to gain not only a financial stake in the club, but also the chance to construct their new stadium. Portsmouth's director, Martin Gregory, met with Wolanin in Paris in January 1998.[12] No other details of the potential deal were made public until 2012, when Wolanin announced his decision to withdraw.[13]

Aviation

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In 1987, Wolanin founded PrivateSky Aviation Services Inc., a fixed-base operator and maintenance repair operation.[14] The company is headquartered at Southwest Florida International airport in Fort Myers, Florida. Its MRO is notable for its exclusive focus on large cabin Gulfstream jets.[15]

Response to Hurricane Ian

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From October 1 to 15, 2022, PrivateSky served as the US Military’s base of operations for relief efforts relating to Hurricane Ian. Missions employed Chinook, Black Hawk, Lakota and Osprey aircraft and successfully rescued over 1,000 people. Military efforts were bolstered by EMS workers and volunteers, forming what President Biden termed “the largest search and rescue team ever assembled in the United States."[16]

Philanthropy

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In 2001, Wolanin created the Rockin' Christmas Fund, a charity that provides scholarships for students experiencing financial hardship due to the death of a parent or guardian.[17][18] As of 2021, scholarships are offered at Thomas Jefferson University, Siena College, Florida Gulf Coast University, and Ave Maria University.[19][20] The fund's charity concerts have included performances from Jimi Jamison of Survivor, Cliff Williams of AC/DC, Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship, Mike Reno of Loverboy, Bob Babbitt, and Whitney Wolanin.[21][22][23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gregory, Andy (2002). The International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002. London, England: Europa Publications Limited. p. 551. ISBN 1-85743-161-8.
  2. ^ "Undergraduate Financial Aid". Thomas Jefferson University. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  3. ^ "The Father Judge High School Hall of Fame" (PDF). Father Judge High School. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Thomas Jefferson University| Hall of Fame Vince Wolanin". www.philau.edu. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  5. ^ "Wolanin | History". Wolanin.com. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  6. ^ Martell, Scott (15 December 1993). "Casual Commander". New-Press. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  7. ^ "A Long-Distance Goal". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  8. ^ "News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida on December 15, 1993 · Page 73". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  9. ^ O'Connor, Christopher. "Bad Company To Tour U.S. With David Lee Roth". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved 2020-02-26.
  10. ^ "Vincent Wolanin | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  11. ^ "Whitney Wolanin Original Song Good from the Album Funkology XIII is the #4 Most Added Song at Radio Stations". PRWeb. Retrieved 2021-05-02.[dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Football: Former rock singer and American property tycoon seek". The Independent. 1997-12-16. Archived from the original on 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  13. ^ "On this day: Howe - I won't let Pompey die". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  14. ^ "Entrepreneurs | Sunday Night Live". Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  15. ^ Sharkey, Joe (2014-06-30). "Those Who Can Afford It Have a Better Way to Fly". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-21.
  16. ^ "Fort Myers, FBO, PrivateSky Aviation Provides Assistance During Hurricane Ian". Phillips 66. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  17. ^ "FGCU Foundation receives $100,000 endowed scholarship fund". Fort Myers Florida Weekly. 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  18. ^ "Rockin' Christmas". rockinchristmas.net. Retrieved 2023-04-01.
  19. ^ "Thomas Jefferson University | Financial Aid Other Scholarships". www.eastfalls.jefferson.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  20. ^ "The Rockin Christmas Scholarship". Siena College. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  21. ^ "Jimi Jamison Vocal Legend, Whitney Wolanin Pop/R&B Artist to Sing with the Hangar of Blues All-Star Band at the 4th Annual Rockin' Christmas Party for Cancer Research". PRWeb. Archived from the original on January 13, 2006. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  22. ^ "5 Dec 2003, Page 58 - News-Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
  23. ^ "2 Dec 2005, Page 81 - News-Press at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-06-12.
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