Bad news in Wichita...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/...ome;topStories

Cessna Cuts 2,300 Jobs, Closes Plant

(CBS/AP) Cessna Aircraft Co., the nation's largest builder of corporate jets,
is laying off 2,300 workers and closing its Oregon plant as it tries to
restructure its product line amid declining plane orders.

The Wichita-based company said Wednesday that it had started laying off 1,600
hourly workers across the company. An additional 700 salaried workers will lose
their jobs in mid-June, and a companywide, four-week shutdown starts June 22.

Of the hourly jobs being cut beginning Wednesday, 1,300 will be in Wichita and
121 will come from Cessna's manufacturing plant in Independence, Kan.

Most of the 700 salaried jobs will come from Wichita, the company said.

Cessna also said it is closing its plant in Bend, Ore., affecting 109 jobs,
though many of those workers may be offered jobs elsewhere. Production of the
Corvalis high-performance, single-engine planes at the Bend plant will move to
the Independence facility, the company said.

Cessna and its parent company Textron Inc. acquired the plant from Columbia
Aircraft Manufacturing Co. in December 2007 for $26.4 million.

In addition, Cessna is discontinuing its Columbus business jets, built in Wichita.

Cessna has laid off 44 percent of its work force since the first round of cuts
was announced in November. The company employed 15,500 people last year before
the economic downturn slashed global demand for corporate aircraft.

The latest job losses come on top of 4,600 jobs already cut. About 4,000 of
those were in Wichita.

"We certainly haven't seen the bottom," company spokesman Bob Stangarone said.
"The economy may be approaching bottom but our business typically lags the
general economy by a significant amount."

Stangarone blamed the decline in global demand for aircraft to the poor economy,
tight finance markets and the financial health of Cessna's customers. He also
cited a "public relations issue" sparked by public attacks by politicians on the
use of business jets by companies that have sought government bailout money.

Earlier this year, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft Inc. launched marketing
campaigns to convince executives not to let their wings be clipped.

"Timidity didn't get you this far," the Cessna ad read (at left), adding that
"true visionaries will continue to fly."

The ad campaign addressed what Cessna called "misinformation" about the business
use of corporate aircraft. Most jet-riders are middle managers or technicians,
it said, and 85 percent of corporate jets are used by small- or medium-sized
businesses.

Parent company Textron Inc. said Tuesday its first-quarter profit fell 63
percent as the recession drove down demand for its corporate jets. It also
slashed its 2009 profit outlook. Textron, which also makes Bell helicopters and
turf-maintenance equipment, is eliminating 8,300 jobs, or 20 percent of its
global work force.

Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets this year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.

On Apr 29, 6:00*pm, cavelamb wrote:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/...4977507.shtml?...

Cessna Cuts 2,300 Jobs, Closes Plant

(CBS/AP) *Cessna Aircraft Co., the nation's largest builder of corporate jets,
is laying off 2,300 workers and closing its Oregon plant as it tries to
restructure its product line amid declining plane orders.

The Wichita-based company said Wednesday that it had started laying off 1,600
hourly workers across the company. An additional 700 salaried workers will lose
their jobs in mid-June, and a companywide, four-week shutdown starts June 22.

Of the hourly jobs being cut beginning Wednesday, 1,300 will be in Wichita and
121 will come from Cessna's manufacturing plant in Independence, Kan.

Most of the 700 salaried jobs will come from Wichita, the company said.

Cessna also said it is closing its plant in Bend, Ore., affecting 109 jobs,
though many of those workers may be offered jobs elsewhere. Production of the
Corvalis high-performance, single-engine planes at the Bend plant will move to
the Independence facility, the company said.

Cessna and its parent company Textron Inc. acquired the plant from Columbia
Aircraft Manufacturing Co. in December 2007 for $26.4 million.

In addition, Cessna is discontinuing its Columbus business jets, built in Wichita.

Cessna has laid off 44 percent of its work force since the first round of cuts
was announced in November. The company employed 15,500 people last year before
the economic downturn slashed global demand for corporate aircraft.

The latest job losses come on top of 4,600 jobs already cut. About 4,000 of
those were in Wichita.

"We certainly haven't seen the bottom," company spokesman Bob Stangarone said.
"The economy may be approaching bottom but our business typically lags the
general economy by a significant amount."

Stangarone blamed the decline in global demand for aircraft to the poor economy,
tight finance markets and the financial health of Cessna's customers. He also
cited a "public relations issue" sparked by public attacks by politicians on the
use of business jets by companies that have sought government bailout money.

Earlier this year, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft Inc. launched marketing
campaigns to convince executives not to let their wings be clipped.

"Timidity didn't get you this far," the Cessna ad read (at left), adding that
"true visionaries will continue to fly."

The ad campaign addressed what Cessna called "misinformation" about the business
use of corporate aircraft. Most jet-riders are middle managers or technicians,
it said, and 85 percent of corporate jets are used by small- or medium-sized
businesses.

Parent company Textron Inc. said Tuesday its first-quarter profit fell 63
percent as the recession drove down demand for its corporate jets. It also
slashed its 2009 profit outlook. Textron, which also makes Bell helicopters and
turf-maintenance equipment, is eliminating 8,300 jobs, or 20 percent of its
global work force.

Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets this year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.

Thank you President Obama.
Your comments have really helped the economy.
NOT!!!

On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:13:36 -0700 (PDT), Clay wrote:


Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets this year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.

Thank you President Obama.
Your comments have really helped the economy.
NOT!!!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

POLITICALLY...
Obama was not left with much choice once GM and Chrysler
execs blew into town in high fashion with multiple jet aircraft,
hat in hand, expecting taxpayers to pick up the tab on that
bit of jet set living with bailout money plus much, much more.

Politically tone deaf, he wasn't! :-)

Think about it.


- Barnyard BOb -

The more people I meet,
the more I like my dog &
George Carlin humor.

On May 1, 12:20*pm, Barnyard BOb wrote:
On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:13:36 -0700 (PDT), Clay wrote:
Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets this year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.

Thank you President Obama.
Your comments have really helped the economy.
NOT!!!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

POLITICALLY...
Obama was not left with much choice once GM and Chrysler
execs blew into town in high fashion with multiple jet aircraft,
hat in hand, expecting taxpayers to pick up the tab on that
bit of jet set living with bailout money plus much, much more.

Politically tone deaf, he wasn't! * :-)

Think about it.

- Barnyard BOb -

The more people I meet,
the more I like my dog &
George Carlin humor.

And blaming Obama for an ecomic collapse that was caused by the prior
administration is a bit much.

Harry K

harry k wrote:
On May 1, 12:20 pm, Barnyard BOb wrote:
On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:13:36 -0700 (PDT), Clay wrote:
Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets this year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.
Thank you President Obama.
Your comments have really helped the economy.
NOT!!!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

POLITICALLY...
Obama was not left with much choice once GM and Chrysler
execs blew into town in high fashion with multiple jet aircraft,
hat in hand, expecting taxpayers to pick up the tab on that
bit of jet set living with bailout money plus much, much more.

Politically tone deaf, he wasn't! :-)

Think about it.

- Barnyard BOb -

The more people I meet,
the more I like my dog &
George Carlin humor.

And blaming Obama for an ecomic collapse that was caused by the prior
administration is a bit much.

Harry K


And blaming the economy on any administration is like blaming a high
school class president for not having more student events.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

harry k wrote:
On May 1, 12:20*pm, Barnyard BOb wrote:
On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:13:36 -0700 (PDT), Clay wrote:
Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets
this year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.

Thank you President Obama.
Your comments have really helped the economy.
NOT!!!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
=-=-=-=-=-

POLITICALLY...
Obama was not left with much choice once GM and Chrysler
execs blew into town in high fashion with multiple jet aircraft,
hat in hand, expecting taxpayers to pick up the tab on that
bit of jet set living with bailout money plus much, much more.

Politically tone deaf, he wasn't! * :-)

Think about it.

- Barnyard BOb -

The more people I meet,
the more I like my dog &
George Carlin humor.

And blaming Obama for an ecomic collapse that was caused by the prior
administration is a bit much.

Clay didn't blame Obama for the economic collapse. You're arguing against
a point not made. He blamed him for "unhelpful" comments re GA.

I was just reviewing the Wikipedia entry for Herbert Hoover. The Great
Depression started 8 months into his presidency but that didn't stop the
Roosevelt campaign from blaming him for causing the depression. (Some of
the Roosevelt campaign rhetoric was, retrospectively, shockingly
disingenuous when contrasted with eventual FDR administration policies.)

In article
,
harry k wrote:

On May 1, 12:20*pm, Barnyard BOb wrote:
On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:13:36 -0700 (PDT), Clay wrote:
Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets this
year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.

Thank you President Obama.
Your comments have really helped the economy.
NOT!!!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

POLITICALLY...
Obama was not left with much choice once GM and Chrysler
execs blew into town in high fashion with multiple jet aircraft,
hat in hand, expecting taxpayers to pick up the tab on that
bit of jet set living with bailout money plus much, much more.

Politically tone deaf, he wasn't! * :-)

Think about it.

- Barnyard BOb -

The more people I meet,
the more I like my dog &
George Carlin humor.

And blaming Obama for an ecomic collapse that was caused by the prior
administration is a bit much.

And blaming the prior administration for an economic collapse brought on
in part in spite of its efforts to rein in certain causative behaviors
is also a bit much.

The current administration's comments for political effect aimed at
higher-end general aviation clearly has not helped, has it?

On Fri, 01 May 2009 19:53:27 -0700, Steve Hix
wrote:

The current administration's comments for political effect aimed at
higher-end general aviation clearly has not helped, has it?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

What comment's might these be, Steve?




-Barnyard BOb -

The more people I meet,
the more I like my dog &
George Carluin humor.

On Fri, 01 May 2009 19:53:27 -0700, Steve Hix
wrote:


The current administration's comments for political effect aimed at
higher-end general aviation clearly has not helped, has it?

in reality comments dont do a single thing. they merely reflect an
underlying cause. the underlying lack of free money might just be
having the influence.
Stealth Pilot

On May 1, 3:20�pm, Barnyard BOb wrote:
On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:13:36 -0700 (PDT), Clay wrote:
Cessna says it will now deliver 290 to 300 Cessna corporate jets this year - a
decline from its previous forecast of about 375 aircraft.

Thank you President Obama.
Your comments have really helped the economy.
NOT!!!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

POLITICALLY...
Obama was not left with much choice once GM and Chrysler
execs blew into town in high fashion with multiple jet aircraft,
hat in hand, expecting taxpayers to pick up the tab on that
bit of jet set living with bailout money plus much, much more.

Politically tone deaf, he wasn't! � :-)

Think about it.

- Barnyard BOb -

The more people I meet,
the more I like my dog &
George Carlin humor.

The way this administration spends money, the auto execs made a P.R.
blunder,but the costs in all ways were tiny compared to the P.R.
blunder with costs for A.F.1 and its chase planes.