Rick Hughlett, founder and president of Rick’s Automotive, will be the recipient of the 2017 Excellence in Business award to be presented by Ozarks Technical Community College on Thursday, April 20. The award ceremony will be held from 7:30–9 a.m. at the White River Conference Center in Springfield.
The event will feature an exclusive conversation with Hughlett about the growth and success of Rick’s Automotive. Reservations are $25 and include a gourmet breakfast. Limited seating is available. Call 417-447-2651 to reserve tickets.
Rick Hughlett and his wife, Karen, opened Rick’s Automotive in 1980 with one goal in mind: to bridge the gap between dealerships and chain stores through an honest and competent auto repair facility.
Nearly 40 years later, Rick’s Automotive has become one of the most recognized and trusted automotive service providers in southwest Missouri. Rick’s Automotive has 40 full-time employees who service more than 1,000 vehicles each month, including 135 local organization fleets.
Hughlett, a graduate of Ozarks Technical Community College’s precursor, Graff Vocational Technical School, has supported OTC since its inception in 1990. He helped form an advisory committee of area automotive service providers to work with the college’s transportation department in an effort to provide OTC automotive instructors with the latest tools and training needed to become successful automotive technicians.
Hughlett also started a mentoring program at OTC to provide real-world experience to students in the college’s Automotive Repair program. Additionally, Hughlett established a scholarship fund for these students through the OTC Foundation, the college’s fundraising arm.
Recipients of the Excellence in Business Award are selected based on the following criteria: leader of an Ozarks regional business, entrepreneurial success, innovative business growth, ability to overcome challenges with integrity, supporter of educational development, customer-driven quality, and community achievement. Past recipients of the award include Johnny Morris, Jeff Schrag, Jim Anderson, Paul Sundy, Jack and Peter Herschend, Sam Hamra, Carol Jones, Bill Turner, Jack Stack, the O’Reilly Family, and John Q. Hammons.