Textron's $1.4 billion acquisition of Beechcraft on 26 December has come as a welcome conclusion to years of speculation on the viability of one of business and general aviation's oldest and most iconic brands. "This is the first time in more than a decade that we are a stable company," says Beechcraft chief executive Bill Boisture. "It's been a tough few years." Boisture says its recent rocky history began in 2003 when Bill Swanson - chief executive of its then owner Raytheon - announced that Hawker Beechcraft would no longer be a core business for the firm. "His comment injected a lot of uncertainty into our company. It slowed things down considerably."
展开▼
