NEW GULFSTREAM JET
NEW G650 UNVEILED. ALREADY 200 ORDERS
It’s sleek, shiny and if you believe everything they say, the fastest business jet ever. Gulfstream Aerospace rolled out the new G650 Tuesday.
According to Gulfstream, the G650 offers the longest range, fastest speed, largest cabin and most advanced cockpit in the Gulfstream fleet. The new model was unveiled in front of a crowd estimated by Gulfstream at about 7,000 people. It got as much applause as a tall, good looking model on a New York runway, maybe more considering what the project may mean for the local economy and the stability of jobs at Gulfstream.
And despite a recession and some tough times, the G650 represents faith in the future. “Gulfstream is the largest employer, with 6,000 employees in southeast Georgia,“ says Pres Henne, senior vice president of Programs, Engineering and Test. “Since1967, Gulstream has been a cornerstone of the local economy. The investment of 400 million dollars and the creation of an additional 1,500 jobs over the past three years represents an investment to the community by General Dynamics and by Gulfstream. With the introduction of the G650, that tradition continues.“
Earlier this year, Gulfstream laid off 1,400 employees at a number of its locations, including Savannah and furloughed hundreds of others for four to five weeks. (A total of 2,200 people were furloughed at the Savannah location.) Officials acknowledged at the time that the recession was finally hitting a company many had believed might be recession proof. “Those layoffs ended in July so we’re through them and quite frankly it looks like we’ve weathered the storm, because things are picking up a bit,“ says Joe Lombardo, executive vice president, General Dynamics Aerospace group.
Lombardo says they have 200 orders for the new G650, which is expected to be tested and ready for service by 2012. “I think most of our customers seem to have confidence that things will be improved by then so making orders now,“ says Lombardo.
Lombardo says that last year the aerospace industry got a “bad rap” after some CEO’s flew in private jets to Washington to ask for federal aid for their companies. “The bad rap I think you would agree had died down substantially,“ he says. “This is the result of a lot of education on our part and the part of associations to make sure that people, including those in Congress, understand the number of jobs affected by general aviation.“
Lombardo says it’s not just the thousands still employed at Gulfstream, but the thousands indirectly employed by providing parts, etc.
“So what does today’s announcement mean, it means jobs,“ Lombardo told us. “It means we’re going to be able to support this community with more people, we’re the biggest donor for United Way as well as number of other charities. This just underscores the importance that this community has (to us.)“
Henne told us “it’s sort of a statement by Gulfstream a statement by General Dynamics about the future. It’s a willingness to invest in an all new product.“
Lombardo says they as they ramp up the G650 line next year, they’ll look at what happens to the rate of productions for their existing products. “Then we’ll see whether or not we move people. We can’t say for sure now but our expectation would be to to the point where we would eventually be hiring people back.“
