Story ID: 
Piper Aircraft Marks 2018 as 'Exceptional Year'
By: Jerry Siebenmark
Caption: The Florida-based airframer saw gains in certain billings and deliveries, as well as in backlog and employment.
Word Count: 208
Piper Aircraft closed out 2018 with deliveries reaching a 10-year high and billings topping $263 million, a nearly 38 percent increase from 2017, the manufacturer announced today. Higher billings and deliveries were driven by demand from the Vero Beach, Florida airframer’s trainer and M-class product lines.

Billings for its single-engine piston Archer rose nearly 50 percent year-over-year, Piper said, while its Seminole twin deliveries increased by 117 percent. The combined billings of its piston M350 and single-engine turboprop M500 and M600 grew by 36 percent from 2017, Piper said.

In addition to the gains in billings and deliveries, Piper added three new dealers last year, took its largest trainer order in company history, and expanded its backlog to nearly 700 airplanes going into 2019. It also increased its workforce 14 percent, to more than 1,000 employees.

“2018 was an exceptional year for Piper Aircraft as we continued to deliver a measurable impact for our customers, and our employees,” said Piper president and CEO Simon Caldecott. “Over the past year, we have increased strategic investments in our facilities and products to better position Piper Aircraft to support the growing but stable demand for our diverse product lines. We also have expanded our efforts and investments to drive innovation while achieving strong financial results.”