Hawker Beechcraft Corp celebrates first anniversary
04 Apr 2008
Last week, Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) celebrated the first anniversary of becoming an independent entity, after being acquired by GS Capital, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs and Onex Partners, from former owner Raytheon on 26 March 2007. At the time of acquisition it was called the Raytheon Aircraft Company.
The anniversary comes at a particularly happy time for HBC, company officials say, with a record backlog in 2007, record international sales and an increased workforce to over 9,000 employees. The company has also fielded an expanded product line with five new certified aircraft.
''There has always been great pride in the Hawker and Beechcraft names, and as Hawker Beechcraft Corporation we have returned to the company's heritage,'' said Jim Schuster, chairman and CEO of Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. ''The personal pride demonstrated by all of our employees is what makes us a great company. This has been one of the most successful years in our company's history and, on behalf of every one of our more than 9,000 employees worldwide, I am proud to say that we are Hawker Beechcraft Corporation.''
Though these are first year celebrations, Hawker Beechcraft Corporation has a rich history as a pioneer in the aviation industry. ''The Hawker and Beechcraft brands have revolutionized the aviation industry and continue today,'' said Schuster. ''Our company's values have not changed since the company was founded in 1932. The Beech philosophy has always been one of quality, customer satisfaction and business integrity. These values continue as our guiding principles today.''
