By Austin Heneveld, PIRTEK Jacksonville and PIRTEK Philips Highway

When people hear I went from flying Navy helicopters to owning a hydraulic and industrial hose service business, they usually assume the hardest part was learning a completely new industry. 

It wasn’t.

Understanding hydraulic systems and the technical side of the business came with time. What surprised me was how little my job changed. The mission was different, but the work leading people, making decisions under pressure, owning the outcome, was the same. Nearly two years into ownership, that realization still shapes how I run this business every day.

Why I Chose to Build

After more than a decade in the Navy, I reached a point familiar to many veterans. My wife and I had built our lives in Jacksonville, welcomed our son, and knew we wanted to stay for the long term. The question was what came next. 

I considered corporate America. Instead, I kept coming back to the idea of building something of my own, something that would let me keep leading people and serving my community. That search led me to PIRTEK.

The Biggest Myth in Franchising

Here is one of the biggest misconceptions people have about franchising: that you need years of technical expertise before you can own a business in a specialized field.

You don’t.

What you need is the ability to lead people, solve problems, and keep learning. The technical knowledge comes from the technicians and support teams around you. My job is to build an environment where skilled people can do their best work, and our customers receive exceptional service. On our shop floor, I’m surrounded by people who know hydraulics better than I ever will. That’s the point.

This approach came straight from the aircraft. Every mission I flew depended on preparation, trust, and execution. Everyone had a role, and the outcome depended on each person understanding the objective and doing their job well. Running a franchise works the same way.

Leadership Is About Trust  

If the Navy reinforced one lesson above all others, it’s that leadership means putting people in positions where they can succeed, not having all the answers yourself. Whether someone on my team is answering the phone, managing operations, or rolling out to an emergency service call at two in the morning, I want them to feel real ownership of the outcome. When people know they are trusted, they show up differently. I’ve watched it happen in a squadron, and I watch it happen in our shop every week.

Keeping Essential Industries Moving

The work itself matters, too. Every day, our team helps construction companies, equipment rental businesses, marine operators, and manufacturers keep essential industries moving. When a hydraulic hose fails, a customer’s operation can grind to a halt and getting them back to work quickly and safely is the whole job. 

The stakes are not measured the way they were in the Navy, but the responsibility is still very real.

Rethinking Risk

Business ownership also asks for a different relationship with risk. In aviation, you are trained to eliminate unnecessary risk wherever you can. In business, you learn to evaluate it carefully and manage it well rather than avoid it altogether. 

It is also where veterans have an edge. We have spent our careers making decisions in uncertain conditions. We are trained to stay calm, adapt quickly, and focus on the mission instead of the obstacles.

Those instincts translate remarkably well into franchising.

A Team Recognition

One of the most rewarding parts of this journey has been watching our team grow alongside the business. Earlier this year, our PIRTEK Philips Highway location was named to PIRTEK’s CEO Circle, a recognition reserved for the top-performing locations in the system. I am proud of that, but I don’t see it as a personal accomplishment. 

It reflects an entire team that believes in serving customers the right way, supporting one another, and showing up committed to doing the work well. Those are the same values that shaped me in uniform, and they will continue to guide us, however much the business grows.

My Advice to Veterans

If I could offer one piece of advice to veterans considering franchising, it is this: don’t underestimate how valuable your experience already is.

Leadership. Accountability. Communication. Adaptability. Those are business skills as much as military ones.

You don’t have to know everything on day one. You need the willingness to learn, the humility to trust good people, and the confidence to lead through the hard moments.

For me, franchising has become another way to keep serving others, just in a different uniform.

And that is a mission worth taking on.