RYAN CARTER

PRESIDENT, SCOTLYNN, FORT MYERS

One of the largest and fastest-growing logistics companies in Florida, Scotlynn started with four employees and has grown to more than 400 across Fort Myers, Tampa, Indianapolis and soon, Greenville, S.C. It operates a fleet of refrigerated tractor-trailers while also providing freight-brokerage services. Carter is a founding member of the U.S. division of the company and has been its president since 2010. He has served on several charitable boards, including United Way, the March of Dimes, Community Cooperative and the Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Florida Gulf Coast University Business Management Advisory Board. “Thirteen years ago, I launched a community outreach initiative at Scotlynn, rewarding employees with two PTO days for volunteering at least 16 hours annually,” Carter says. “The program’s success has empowered our team to contribute over 4,000 volunteer hours each year across 20-plus nonprofits.”

EDUCATION: University of Kentucky (BS)

FIRST JOB: While I did many cash jobs growing up, my first W-2 job was with a special events company, starting as a laborer setting up tents, tables and chairs. By age 16, I was promoted to manager, leading a crew of up to seven and driving large trucks to job sites.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I’d become a photographer specializing in special events, natural landscapes and wildlife.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: When I was a little kid, my brother and I had a job on our grandfather’s ostrich ranch of going out and collecting eggs each morning. One of us would distract the angry male ostrich while the other one would run into the pen and snag the eggs.

HOBBY: A few years ago, I bought a Porsche GT3 and took it to Sebring for competitive laps with fellow Porsche enthusiasts. That first track experience hooked me — I fell in love with the adrenaline, precision and pure thrill of high-performance driving.