Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ:GRMN), today
announced that Gary Burrell, aviation pioneer and co-founder of Garmin
Ltd., passed away on June 12, 2019, at the age of 81. Mr. Burrell
retired in 2002 and continued to serve as Garmin’s co-Chairman until
2004 when he was named Chairman Emeritus.
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Garmin® announces passing of Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus Gary Burrell. Innovator, entrepreneur and servant leader will be remembered for his legacy of growing Garmin from a start-up company to a global leader in GPS technology. (Photo: Business Wire)
Mr. Burrell co-founded Garmin with Dr. Min Kao in 1989 with the vision
of creating products powered by an emerging technology known as the
Global Positioning System, or GPS. Thirty years later, Garmin has grown
from a handful of engineers into a global location and communication
product powerhouse with more than 13,000 associates in 60 offices around
the world. Of his many accomplishments, Gary was most proud of the jobs
he helped create.
“Gary Burrell has been my friend, mentor and partner for more than 30
years,” Kao said. “His vision, values, engineering skills and commitment
to serving our customers have been the foundation for the growth of our
company. It has been both a great privilege and a blessing to have known
this amazing man and I know his legacy will live on.”
In a career spanning 50 years, Burrell motivated and mentored thousands
of employees. Among them was Garmin President and CEO Cliff Pemble, one
of Burrell’s first hires.
“While Gary will be remembered by many as one of the great entrepreneurs
of our age, I will remember the unusual way in which he led our company,
something he called servant leadership,” Pemble said. “Whether it was
about creating the best product or his behavior as a leader, Gary always
considered the impact to others before himself. His example not only
inspired my contribution to Garmin, it also positively influenced me as
a husband and father. I am forever grateful for the rich and enduring
legacy of Gary Burrell.”
Prior to launching Garmin in 1989, Burrell held leadership positions at
marine and aviation electronics companies including Lowrance
Electronics, King Radio Corporation and AlliedSignal. He is widely
regarded as one of the leading innovators of integrated avionics, having
designed and developed the first successful NAV/COMM for the general
aviation market.
At Garmin, Gary expanded his vision for integration with the GNS 430/530
product family, which combines GPS technology with traditional aviation
navigation and communication systems and a color moving map. Gary went
on to conceive the G1000 cockpit system which today is operating in
thousands of aircraft around the world from small piston powered
airplanes through mid-sized business jets. Burrell earned his bachelor’s
in electrical engineering at Wichita State University and his master’s
from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
For decades, Garmin has pioneered new GPS navigation and wireless
devices and applications that are designed for people who live an active
lifestyle. Garmin serves five primary markets, including automotive,
aviation, fitness, marine, and outdoor recreation. For more information,
visit Garmin’s virtual pressroom at garmin.com/newsroom,
contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200, or follow us at facebook.com/garmin,
twitter.com/garmin,
instagram.com/garmin
or youtube.com/garmin.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN).
Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal
subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United
Kingdom. Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its
subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service
marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd.
and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current
expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in
this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as
a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting
Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2018, filed
by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file
number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at http://www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html.
No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
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