Governor Announces Cessna expansion in Columbus

Wichita company to invest $24 million in new facility

Columbus, Ga. —Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Cessna plans to invest up to $24 million to expand its presence in Columbus. Cessna expects to add up to 150 jobs in Columbus over the next five years.

  “As Cessna grows in Columbus, it's evident that Georgia is a true power in the aerospace industry,” said Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. “Our talented workforce and good business climate present distinct advantages in this target industry.”

Wichita-based Cessna broke ground today on a new 100,000 square foot facility on a 40-acre site at the Muscogee Technology Park. Completion is expected by late summer 2008.

Cessna will produce aircraft sub-assemblies and house a metal bonding shop in its new facility.   Once the new plant is fully operational, Cessna will have more than 750 employees in Columbus.

“When we came to Columbus in 1996, there were about 70 employees here, and now there are almost 600,”said Ron Alberti, Cessna Senior VP, Supply Chain. “The strength of the workforce and the business climate in Muscogee County provides a terrific environment in which to grow our business, and we expect strong job growth as our business grows.”

“We are excited about Cessna’s growth because of the kind of new jobs they will be creating for our workforce,” said Columbus Mayor Jim Wetherington. “We look forward to continued success and growth.”

Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2006, Cessna delivered 1,239 aircraft, including 307 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $4.2 billion and a backlog of $8.5 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, more than 189,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered to nearly every country in the world. The global fleet of more than 5,000 Citations is the largest fleet of business jets in the world.