News Releases
Cessna Aircraft Company and City of Greensburg Announce Collaboration
GREENSBURG, Kan., Oct. 26, 2009 - Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, and the City of Greensburg, Kan., today announced an agreement to explore areas of possible cooperation on environmental issues as Greensburg works to rebuild itself as one of the world’s first “green” cities following a 2007 tornado.
At a signing ceremony today at City Hall, Greensburg Mayor Bob Dixson and Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton signed a Memorandum of Understanding that supports a variety of activities aimed at assisting both Cessna and the City of Greensburg to initiate developmental collaboration, implement energy management programs, adopt clean and efficient sustainable resources and reduce overall environmental impact, at the same time enhancing the quality of life of Greensburg residents.
“Our hope is that this collaboration serves as a model for other communities and businesses that wish to pursue environmental excellence,” Pelton said. “Our next step is to develop the list of areas we plan to explore including employee mobilization to provide expertise for various projects, green airport development and coordination of aviation activities in the Greensburg community with general aviation industry associations.”
Greensburg, located about 110 miles west of Cessna’s Wichita headquarters in Wichita, was decimated by a deadly tornado on May 4, 2007. The community’s vision is to rebuild as a sustainable community that balances the economic, ecological and social impacts of development.
In June 2008, Pelton formed Cessna’s Environmental Strategy Council to oversee implementation of the company’s long-term environmental strategy by assessing the company’s impact on the environment and formalizing initiatives to minimize that impact. Comprised of representatives from every part of the company, the council has five main areas of focus: aircraft emissions, industrial emissions/waste/recycling, recycling consumables, energy conservation and engaging employee participation through communication.
“We have long been committed to improving the efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of our products; our Environmental Strategy Council allows us to converge these efforts and to raise the visibility among employees and customers,” Pelton said. “Our collaboration with Greensburg is a result of the council’s work.”
Dixson said the agreement is a model of the kind of public/private partnerships needed to tackle 21st century issues of environmental stewardship.
“Greensburg has become a living laboratory for research on sustainable design and community development, and teaming with Cessna further showcases the commitment from the people and businesses of Kansas to work together and take action to better the environment,” Dixson said. “We intend to share our specific expertise regarding environmental collaboration and development, which may include sharing success stories, lessons learned and other relevant best practices.”
Cessna has also reached out to broaden the aviation community’s input to this project to include the world’s largest general aviation organization. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will participate in certain aspects of this effort that pertain to general aviation. Representing over two thirds of the nation’s pilots, AOPA is expected to be a valuable resource for this endeavor.
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Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2008, Cessna delivered 1,301 aircraft, including 467 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5.662 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, 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, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
At a signing ceremony today at City Hall, Greensburg Mayor Bob Dixson and Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton signed a Memorandum of Understanding that supports a variety of activities aimed at assisting both Cessna and the City of Greensburg to initiate developmental collaboration, implement energy management programs, adopt clean and efficient sustainable resources and reduce overall environmental impact, at the same time enhancing the quality of life of Greensburg residents.
“Our hope is that this collaboration serves as a model for other communities and businesses that wish to pursue environmental excellence,” Pelton said. “Our next step is to develop the list of areas we plan to explore including employee mobilization to provide expertise for various projects, green airport development and coordination of aviation activities in the Greensburg community with general aviation industry associations.”
Greensburg, located about 110 miles west of Cessna’s Wichita headquarters in Wichita, was decimated by a deadly tornado on May 4, 2007. The community’s vision is to rebuild as a sustainable community that balances the economic, ecological and social impacts of development.
In June 2008, Pelton formed Cessna’s Environmental Strategy Council to oversee implementation of the company’s long-term environmental strategy by assessing the company’s impact on the environment and formalizing initiatives to minimize that impact. Comprised of representatives from every part of the company, the council has five main areas of focus: aircraft emissions, industrial emissions/waste/recycling, recycling consumables, energy conservation and engaging employee participation through communication.
“We have long been committed to improving the efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of our products; our Environmental Strategy Council allows us to converge these efforts and to raise the visibility among employees and customers,” Pelton said. “Our collaboration with Greensburg is a result of the council’s work.”
Dixson said the agreement is a model of the kind of public/private partnerships needed to tackle 21st century issues of environmental stewardship.
“Greensburg has become a living laboratory for research on sustainable design and community development, and teaming with Cessna further showcases the commitment from the people and businesses of Kansas to work together and take action to better the environment,” Dixson said. “We intend to share our specific expertise regarding environmental collaboration and development, which may include sharing success stories, lessons learned and other relevant best practices.”
Cessna has also reached out to broaden the aviation community’s input to this project to include the world’s largest general aviation organization. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will participate in certain aspects of this effort that pertain to general aviation. Representing over two thirds of the nation’s pilots, AOPA is expected to be a valuable resource for this endeavor.
###
Based on unit sales, Cessna Aircraft Company is the world's largest manufacturer of general aviation airplanes. In 2008, Cessna delivered 1,301 aircraft, including 467 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of about $5.662 billion. Since the company was originally established in 1927, some 192,000 Cessna airplanes have been delivered around the world, including more than 6,000 Citations, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at www.cessna.com.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, 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, and Textron Systems. More information is available at www.textron.com.
