Wichita, KS - October 29, 2008 - Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius joined Cessna Aircraft Company Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton this morning to celebrate the start of construction of the company’s new Wichita Citation Columbus design and assembly facility. Cessna is a Textron (NYSE: TXT) company
Sebelius and Pelton were joined by local and state legislative and business leaders and a small representation of Cessna’s 12,000 Wichita employees.
“Being able to call Kansas home for the Citation Columbus is important to Cessna and it wouldn’t be possible without the team effort shown earlier this year,” Pelton said. “Today is our way of recognizing how big of a victory this is for Cessna, Wichita and Kansas, and to again thank everyone who played a part in making this happen.”
Cessna announced it will build the assembly facility at its Mid-Continent facility in April following approval by the Kansas Legislature of a new incentive measure designed to keep and attract new business. Among those collaborating with the legislators on the package were the City of Wichita, Sedgwick County, Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition and the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce. Sebelius signed the bill during a visit to Cessna on April 23.
“Landing the Citation Columbus sends a strong message that Kansas will compete to keep and grow aviation jobs,” Sebelius said. “But this reaches far beyond aviation and the direct jobs created at Cessna. Research shows that each aviation job creates an additional 2.9 jobs, which means a total of nearly 4,000 future new jobs in Kansas as a result of this new plant.”
The stand-alone, 600,000-square-foot facility is being built near the intersection of K-42 and Hoover on the Cessna campus adjacent to Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Wichita firms McCluggage Van Sickle & Perry and Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A. have been hired for architecture and engineering work, respectively.
Cessna and the design team are working toward compliance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system for this facility. The new building will house engineering offices and final assembly for the Citation Columbus – the largest and longest-range business jet in the Cessna Citation family of business jets.
Cessna was given the go-ahead for the program by the Textron board of directors on Jan. 23. Textron is investing $780 million into development of the Citation Columbus, Cessna’s newest and largest business jet. The program will create up to 1,000 new jobs at Cessna with an estimated annual payroll of $74 million.
“The hard work of employees past and present has made it possible for us to launch a program as massive as the Citation Columbus,” Pelton said. “Despite the uncertainty of the short-term economic environment, we believe it is critical that we not compromise our future.”
The all-new aircraft’s large, comfortable cabin is configurable for up to 10 passengers and is expected to exceed top competitor passenger seating room. The Columbus also is expected to lead its segment with its combination of speed and range.
The Citation Columbus follows the design philosophy of other Citations by using an aluminum airframe, and it contains structural and cabin interior features to maximize interior cabin space. Cessna’s engineering team and its co-development suppliers have designed the clean-sheet Columbus to be one of the most advanced, fuel-efficient, cleanest business jets ever conceived. The price for the Citation Columbus is $27 million in 2008 U.S. dollars. Cessna plans to achieve Federal Aviation Administration certification for the Citation Columbus by the end of 2013, with deliveries beginning in 2014.
Editor's Note: High-resolution Cessna Citation Columbus images and building renderings are available for download at the Multimedia Gallery in the Newsroom on cessna.com. Select the Facilities drop down option from the Other section.
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 backlog of $15.6 billion as of September 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 at www.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.