Orlando, FL - October 5, 2008 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has named Randy Soutiere general manager of its new Citation Service Center scheduled to open in January in Mesa, Ariz.
Soutiere joined Cessna in 1992 as a flightline mechanic and moved into roles of increasing responsibility in the areas of quality, field service, Textron Six Sigma and customer service. His most recent position was managing process design and control, where he oversaw the Flat Rate System and ProTech Labor Program while developing and implementing lean methodologies across the Citation Service Center network.
Prior to joining Cessna, Soutiere served four years in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita.
Soutiere has a master's and bachelor’s degree from Newman University in Wichita. He is a licensed airframe and power plant mechanic, holds a private pilot’s license and is a certified Textron Six Sigma Blackbelt.
Cessna has nearly completed construction of the new 100,000 square-foot facility at the Williams Gateway Airport. The company’s 15-acre tract there is adjacent to three 10,000-foot runways and includes a 124,800-square foot aircraft ramp. Mesa will replace the service center in Long Beach, Calif., and more than 65 percent of the current workforce at Long Beach accepted Cessna’s offer to relocate to Mesa.
The Mesa Citation Service Center is part of Cessna’s global network of company-owned service centers. Along with the company’s more than 30 authorized service facilities around the world, this group forms one of the most comprehensive business aircraft service networks in the world. Cessna is consistently ranked near the top of the industry in third-party customer support surveys, one of the factors supporting Cessna’s continued leadership in annual business jet deliveries.
About Cessna Aircraft Company
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2007, Cessna delivered 1,272 aircraft, including 387 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5 billion. Cessna has a current backlog of $16 billion through June 30, 2008. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 191,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 5,400 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at http://www.cessna.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a $13.2 billion multi-industry company operating in 34 countries with approximately 44,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, defense and intelligence, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available atwww.textron.com.
Forward-looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements and speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the statements, including but not limited to the following: [a] changes in worldwide economic and political conditions that impact demand for our products, interest rates and foreign exchange rates; [b] the interruption of production at our facilities or at our suppliers’ facilities; [c] the timing of new product launches and certifications of new aircraft products; [d] the occurrence of slowdowns or downturns in customer markets in which our products are sold or supplied; [e] changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellation of orders; [f] the launching of significant new products or programs which could result in unanticipated expenses; [g] changes in national or international government policies on the export and import of commercial products; and [h] bankruptcy or other financial problems at major suppliers that could cause disruptions in our supply chain.