Wichita, KS - March 10, 2008 - Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton was named winner of the 2008 AVIATION WEEK Laurel for Business and General Aviation at the annual awards banquet March 4 in Washington D.C. Cessna Aircraft Company is a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company.
AVIATION WEEK Laurels, among the aerospace industry's most prestigious awards, have been presented annually for more than 50 years to recognize professional excellence.
"Jack Pelton has pushed Cessna to develop, refine and deliver aircraft across its full line - from the SkyCatcher trainer and diesel-powered singles up through the just-announced Columbus, the largest and most capable Citation ever," said William Garvey, Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation, an AVIATION WEEK magazine. "We editors felt that such leadership in so competitive and dynamic a segment deserved special recognition."
Pelton was noted for his work in spurring the company into new markets with the introduction of both the SkyCatcher light sport aircraft and the planned Citation Columbus large-cabin, long-range business jet. Pelton also led Cessna's expansion of its single-engine product line with the company's first-ever acquisition of another manufacturer in December 2007, acquiring certain assets of Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Company and its high-performance aircraft product line.
Under Pelton's leadership, Cessna turned in its best financial performance ever with 2007 sales of $5 billion, raising the company's backlog to a record $12.6 billion.
Pelton also has been a voice for industry wide issues, championing a Kansas state measure to establish a regional training facility, and acting as a national leader on the fight against new fees on business aviation.
He joined Cessna in November 2000 as senior vice president of product engineering and oversaw Cessna's engineering and product development activities, including new aircraft development, design, experimental and production test flight, certifications and product improvements for all Cessna models. He was named President and CEO in 2003 and Chairman in 2005.
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 $12.6 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 190,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 5,100 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at 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, 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 at www.textron.com.