press releases

45+

Years of Service

Global

Reach & Recovery

24/7

AOG Response

1979

Established

September 28, 2026

NAFA Welcomes New Member: Sage-Popovich, Inc.

Edgewater, MD — September 28, 2026 — The National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA) is proud to announce that Sage-Popovich, Inc., has joined its distinguished network of business and general aviation finance professionals.

Since 1979, Sage-Popovich, Inc. has grown from a provider of recovery services for...

April 28th, 2026

Sage-Popovich Expands Team with Justin Gerber in Newly Created Business Development Role

Valparaiso, Indiana – Sage-Popovich, Inc. (SPI) is proud to announce the addition of Justin Gerber as Head of Business Development, a newly created role reflecting the company’s continued growth and long-standing trust within the aviation industry.

April 28th, 2026

Sage-Popovich, Inc. Welcomes Brandon Sepulveda to Part 145 TOGS Aircraft Team as A&P Mechanic

Valparaiso, Indiana – Sage-Popovich, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Brandon Sepulveda to its Part 145 TOGS aircraft team as an FAA-certified Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic.

Sepulveda brings a strong background in...

January, 2026

Sage-Popovich Announces Expansion at Gary/Chicago International Airport for FAA Part 149 Repair Station

Gary, Indiana – Sage-Popovich, Inc. is pleased to announce another significant expansion of its operations at the Gary/Chicago International Airport. The company is currently adding a second hangar to house TOGS, its FAA Part 145 Repair Station.

September 28, 2026

NAFA Welcomes New Member: Sage-Popovich, Inc.

Edgewater, MD — September 28, 2026 — The National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA) is proud to announce that Sage-Popovich, Inc., has joined its distinguished network of business and general aviation finance professionals.

Since 1979, Sage-Popovich, Inc. has grown from a provider of recovery services for…

April 28th, 2026

Sage-Popovich Expands Team with Justin Gerber in Newly Created Business Development Role

Valparaiso, Indiana – Sage-Popovich, Inc. (SPI) is proud to announce the addition of Justin Gerber as Head of Business Development, a newly created role reflecting the company’s continued growth and long-standing trust within the aviation industry.

April 28th, 2026

Sage-Popovich, Inc. Welcomes Brandon Sepulveda to Part 145 TOGS Aircraft Team as A&P Mechanic

Valparaiso, Indiana – Sage-Popovich, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Brandon Sepulveda to its Part 145 TOGS aircraft team as an FAA-certified Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic.

Sepulveda brings a strong background in…

January, 2026

Sage-Popovich Announces Expansion at Gary/Chicago International Airport for FAA Part 149 Repair Station

Gary, Indiana – Sage-Popovich, Inc. is pleased to announce another significant expansion of its operations at the Gary/Chicago International Airport. The company is currently adding a second hangar to house TOGS, its FAA Part 145 Repair Station.

Past Highlights

Press Release Archives

Explore past press releases highlighting Sage-Popovich’s milestones, achievements, and contributions to the aviation industry over the years.

Valparaiso, Indiana – Sage-Popovich, Inc., a global leader in aviation asset management, announces the retirement of Skip Lanoff, Vice President of Charter Sales, effective January 10th, 2026. Lanoff’s departure marks the end of a successful and distinguished career with the company, during which he oversaw high-level sales management and specialized aviation services for global private clients.

Lanoff joined Sage-Popovich in 2012, bringing a diverse and high-level background from the automotive industry. Prior to his career in aviation, Lanoff owned an Oldsmobile & GMC dealership in Northwest Indiana and served as General Manager for several premier Chicagoland dealerships, including Jacob’s Twin Buick, Northbrook Mercedes & Autohaus on Edens, and Northbrook Toyota.

Valparaiso, Indiana – March 11th, 2025 Sage-Popovich, Inc. is pleased to announce the creation of a new Aviation Associate role, designed to strengthen support for the company’s Project Management Team. We welcome David Dai as the first person to step into this position.

David is an aviation consultant with expertise in valuation, market research, sales, marketing, and flight operations. Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Airline Management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, David’s passion for aviation drives his continuous expansion of knowledge and skills. His background includes data-driven market research, competitive analysis, and strategy development, leveraging tools like Salesforce, Excel, Tableau, R, SAS, Stata, and SQL.

Valparaiso, IN – 9/22/2023 – Chicagoland-area aviation firm sage-popovich, inc. (SPI) recently completed its 2,000th aviation asset recovery with the return of a Bombardier CRJ700 from an East Coast airport. This new milestone marks an important achievement for the 44-year-old company as it continues its transition toward a new generation of leadership.

The company’s current president, Petar Todorovic, continues SPI’s proud tradition of solutions-oriented services for clients and looks forward to the next chapter of growth for the firm.

Valparaiso, IN – 9/28/2021 – When Petar Todorovic looks for role models, he goes right to his parents, Vesna and Vlasto Todorovic, who came to this country from Serbia in 1998. “They gave up their whole life for my brother and me,” said Todorovic, who admitted he did not realize his parents’ struggles until later.

One lesson he learned from his parents is to never give up. At age 29 Petar is president of sage-popovich, inc., a global aviation consulting and asset management provider, from pre-purchase inspection and appraisal services through repossession and liquidation on all aircraft types and related inventory. Todorovic has been with the company for seven years, originally hired as an intern coming from Purdue University. He became its president this past March, following founder Nick Popovich, who remains its chairman…

Valparaiso, IN – 6/8/2021 – John Brattain has been announced as the new vice president of maintenance at sage-popovich, inc. (SPI), a Chicagoland-area aviation consulting, maintenance, and asset management firm. In his new role, Brattain will oversee all maintenance activities related to SPI’s family of companies, including the recently added FAA Part 145 Repair Station, TOGS, and all other managed or owned aircraft.

As an airframe and powerplant mechanic, Brattain has over 20 years of quality assurance management and engineering experience. Throughout his career, he has made numerous achievements in aviation industry safety.

Valparaiso, IN – June 1, 2021 – On behalf of Cadence Business Finance (CBF), Sage-Popovich, Inc. (SPI) will be coordinating the donation of multiple CF34 and ALF 502 engines to aviation mechanic schools. Nick Popovich, the company Chairman, has always supported the aviation learning community. When it came time to clear these engines out of storage, the CBF team generously offered them up for donation to any aircraft mechanic school for training purposes.

The General Electric CF34 is a turbofan jet engine used on a number of business and regional jets, including the Bombardier Challenger and CRJ series, the Embraer E-Jets, and the Comac ARJ21. First manufactured in 1982, the engine family is in greater demand today than ever before. The engines are currently used around the globe on both military and civilian aircraft operated by SkyWest Airlines, United Airlines, Republic Airlines, Uganda National Airlines Company and more.

Valparaiso, Indiana – November 14th, 2024 – sage-popovich, inc. proudly announces that Gustavo PerezHernandez has earned the prestigious Accredited Member (AM) designation from the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). This esteemed credential recognizes Gustavo’s commitment to professional excellence and expertise in the appraisal field.

The AM designation signifies that Gustavo has met rigorous standards of education, experience, and ethical practices, demonstrating a high level of proficiency in appraisal methodologies.

Valparaiso, IN – March 22, 2021 – Sage-Popovich, Inc. (SPI) has agreed to acquire Togs Aircraft, LLC (TOGS), an FAA Part 145 Repair Station. TOGS has been in business for more than 20 years and has maintained a wide array of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft since its inception. TOGS’s capabilities range from light to heavy turboprops, helicopters, corporate jets, and regional airline equipment. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2021.

Nick Popovich, chairman of SPI, discussed his 35-year history with Blake Groat, president of TOGS.

“I met Blake when repossessing aircraft from a charter operator in Michigan,” Popovich said. “The aircraft and records were so well maintained that I approached, and retained, Blake to become the director of maintenance for an aviation group in Illinois that I was managing as a consultant. When my contract there ended, Blake left and created TOGS. Since then, TOGS has been our maintenance repair and overhaul provider of choice.”

Valparaiso, IN – 3/12/21 – Company officials announced that Petar Todorovic has been promoted to the role of President at sage-popovich, inc. (SPI), a global aviation consulting and asset management provider headquartered in Valparaiso, IN with flight operations out of the Gary/Chicago International Airport.

Owner and former President Nick Popovich is moving to the office of Chairman. He will be splitting his time between supporting Todorovic and being more involved with the philanthropic efforts of the Popovich Family Trust.

In November, Airport Business published their 2020 “40 Under 40” list which included our very own Petar Todorovic. Petar was recognized for his outstanding leadership and his exceptional achievements in the industry.

As the Vice President at Sage-Popovich Inc. (SPI), Todorovic is involved in every aspect of the business, which includes valuations and asset management, consulting and technical advisory services, business aircraft services, as well as liquidation and repossession of both aircraft and inventory. He is an ASA licensed appraiser and Accredited Member of the American Society of Appraisers, as well as a member of ISTAT.

Nick Popovich joins the short list of inductees to receive this great honor. He is being recognized for the global aviation business that he founded in 1979, and now operates from several facilities around Northwest Indiana. Nick has been the recipient of numerous accolades and awards, including being inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation, but growing up in Northwest Indiana, Nick treasures this award the most because it comes from his hometown region.

Nick attributes his company’s success to the dedication that he and his staff demonstrate to SPI’s clients, and the ability to create customized solutions that meet their needs. He keeps his business nimble and his business relationships close. This has led Sage-Popovich, Inc. to be the premier aviation consulting company for lenders, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, attorneys, parts manufacturers, government entities and individual aircraft owners worldwide.

If it’s an aviation-related question you have, Nick is the guy to ask, and this recognition further demonstrates that.

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Justin Gerber serves as Director of Business Development for Sage-Popovich, Inc. and TOGS Aircraft. He focuses on client engagement, strategic growth initiatives, and expanding relationships across the aviation industry.

Prior to joining SPI, Justin built a strong background in digital advertising and brand partnerships, bringing a modern and relationship-driven approach to business development and market outreach.

Gustavo serves as a Project Manager at Sage-Popovich, Inc. and is an Accredited Member (AM) of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) specializing in Machinery & Technical Specialties (Aviation). His work focuses on
aviation market research, economic analysis, and trend forecasting for commercial and business aircraft and engines. With experience supporting government agencies, startups, and multinational organizations, Gustavo brings a strategic and analytical approach to asset management and valuation projects. Along with being a strong bi-lingual asset, brings a sense of unity to clients.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and is skilled in data analysis platforms including SQL, Python, Stata, and Tableau.

Joel began his career with SPI as a student mechanic while earning his FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) certification and studying maintenance management at Lewis University. He later served as the Part 135 Quality Assurance Analyst Manager at a 135 Operator. Today, as Accountable Manager Joel oversees TOGS operations and maintenance activities across multiple local airports, supporting AOG response, MRO services, and day-to-day maintenance operations with a strong focus on safety, efficiency, and reliability.

Retiring from the US Army, John brings over 30 years of experience in aviation maintenance, quality assurance, and engineering support. As an FAA-certified Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic, he oversees maintenance operations for SPI’s corporate fleet and supports client projects as an inspector and auditor. Prior to SPI, John retired from the Department of Defense as a Contract Liaison Representative specializing in inspections, audits, and corrective action implementation. He also served as an Aviation Maintenance Instructor with the U.S. Army and holds multiple industrial safety and HAZMAT certifications, along with an Associate degree in Aviation Management and Aero-Electrical Engineering from Vincennes University.

Jaime joined Sage-Popovich, Inc. in 2012 and currently serves on the gifting committee of the Popovich Family Trust. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University Bloomington and holds a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the same institution. Jaime is a member of both the Porter County and Indiana State Bar Associations. Before transitioning into her full-time role with SPI, she practiced law for nine years at a private firm, building extensive experience in legal counsel and client advocacy.

Brian has over 30 years of experience in inventory control and parts sales. He served in the US Marine Corps as a Recruiter and Aviation Supply Manager before joining AAR Distribution as a Product Line Representative and later becoming a Program Inventory Analyst.

At AAR, he enhanced the vendor base and monitored inventory levels across the logistics chain. Currently, he manages all parts, sales, and liquidation units.

Petar Todorovic serves as President of Sage-Popovich, Inc., having previously held roles including Vice President of Operations, Asset Valuation Manager, and Director of Flight Operations. Additionally, he is a licensed appraiser and Accredited Member of the American Society of Appraisers, a member of ISTAT, and is an FAA Licensed Aircraft Dispatcher. He joined the company in 2014 following graduating from Purdue University’s College of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management with a minor in Business.

Petar oversees operations across Sage-Popovich’s range of extensive aviation services. He also leads world-wide projects, including complex bankruptcy, insolvency, and workout situations, insurance claims and settlements, aircraft and inventory remarketing and liquidations, as well as repossessed and returned assets. In 2020, Petar was recognized by Airport Business as one of the aviation industryʼs “40 Under 40ˮ for his leadership and professional achievements. More recently, he was named one of Indiana Business magazineʼs “20 Under 40,ˮ recognizing emerging leaders within Indianaʼs business community.

With decades of experience in aviation, Nick is a globally recognized expert in asset recovery, valuation, and management. He has served as court-appointed appraiser, arbitrator and liquidator in high-profile litigation and bankruptcy cases. A type-rated pilot in five different commercial aircraft, Nick was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2017, knighted by the U.S. Army Golden Knights in 2019, and inducted into the IN-Business Hall of Fame in 2020. With Nick’s extensive background in aviation, he has remained deeply committed to giving back to the community.

He actively supports veterans through aircraft donations, aviation career opportunities, and advocacy initiatives, while also contributing aircraft and simulation equipment to technical schools to help develop the next generation of aviation professionals. As Chairman, Nick continues to serve as a leader and mentor to both our team and the aviation industry, remaining dedicated to service, leadership, and making a meaningful impact for both the industry and his clients.