Page 10 - Oct23T

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Ron Gunnarson of Piper Aircraft
BM600 SLS
etween 2010 and 2016, I work-
ed with an industry veteran in aviation operations, marketing and sales. He and I shared a
common wall adjoining our offices in a unique building constructed after Raytheon had acquired Beech- craft in the 1980s.
By the time Ron Gunnarson and I occupied those adjacent second- f loor offices, Raytheon had sold Beech to private equity in 2006, calling the new company Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. Hawker Beechcraft brought me in to help ensure cus- tomer needs were front and center throughout its jet aircraft develop- ment, certification and produc- tion phases. The goal was to help facilitate communication between engineering, production, aftermarket support, sales and the end users.
Jet production stopped eventu- ally, so we narrowed the company name to Beechcraft (dropping the Hawker). Textron, Cessna’s owner, showed genuine interest in its long- time competitor. Following Beech’s acquisition by Textron, Ron went on
8 • TWIN & TURBINE / October 2023
to lead Piper’s sales and marketing group in Florida, and I followed suit a couple of years later, going south to Mooney Aircraft in Texas.
Ron’s tenure at Piper as VP of sales, marketing and customer support has seen the brand lead the industry in innovative new technologies, new air- craft models, and new ways owners can do more with their equipment. EAA AirVenture 2023 brought some exciting announcements for Piper, and afterward, I had the chance to catch
up with my former boss and friend to learn more.
Lance Phillips: First of all, Ron, congratulations on all the positive stories coming out of Vero Beach. Since you transitioned to Piper, the good news has been nonstop.
Ron Gunnarson: Thank you. It’s a good time from a market perspec- tive for the industry, and Piper has set itself up to take advantage of the environment based on strategic invest- ments and positioning.
M600 SLS dashboard with HALO and Autoland