Spirit Aerosystems

Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. has named a new president/CEO. The company announced today that its board of directors has chosen Larry A. Lawson to fill the position starting on April 6th. Lawson, who was executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics business segment, will take the place of Jeff Turner. Turner was Spirit's CEO since the company was formed in 2005. Turner is expected to stay on the company's board of directors. "The board sought a CEO armed with a strong record of operating and financial performance on both mature and new aircraft programs with the ability to take Spirit to the next level," said Bob Johnson, board chairman of Spirit AeroSystems in a press release.

Spirit Aerosystems and SPEEA begin talks about whether to head back to the negotiating table. A union representative says the two sides are in discussions to resume contract talks. No date has been set. Spirit Aerosystems officials confirm this as well. In a statement they say: "We've had preliminary discussions with Bob Brewer (SPEEA Midwest Executive Director) about whether it would be fruitful to resume talks, but no date has been set at this point. Spirit has always been willing to listen in good faith to any proposal the union makes.

Spirit AeroSystems hit a big milestone Thursday. The  plane maker rolled out its first Sikorsky CH-53K helicopter fuselage. This is part of the company's first new military contract since becoming Spirit five and a half years ago. "Anytime you do number one and you get it done and you can celebrate it, it is a huge day," said CEO Jeff Turner. Spirit is the only large aviation company in Wichita to make it through the past two years without any major layoffs.

Jerry Milligan died Saturday afternoon from injuries sustained in an accident while working at Spirit AeroSystems. Officials with Spirit say Milligan was working with a fuselage panel on Thursday when the accident happen.  They add all the circumstances surrounding his injury are yet not known. In a statement released Saturday, company officials say, “We are deeply saddened by the death of our team member Jerry Milligan. The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority.

Spirit Aerosystems announced Tuesday it's setting up a new facility in Chanute, Kansas.  That facility will employ 25 workers when it first opens, and Spirit says it plans to expand to 125-150 people in the future. The facility will concentrate on light sub-assembly work for the 737 which is currently being performed in Wichita. More from Spirit AeroSystems: WICHITA, Kan., Sept. 27, 2011 - Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. [NYSE: SPR] today announced it will establish a manufacturing facility in Chanute, Kan., to support sub-assembly work on underwing aircraft components as part of a multi-phased project.

A union may take a Kansas aviation company to court over worker performance. The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace or SPEEA filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board in February. The union says Spirit AeroSystems is blaming its workers for the company not meeting performance goals. SPEEA says nearly 1,000 employees dropped in performance ratings without justification. "They're trying to place the blame at the feet of the employees instead of recognizing their own short coming on the part of executive management," says Bob Brewer.

The union representing engineers and technical workers at Spirit AeroSystems has filed a grievance with the National Labor Relations Board over changes to the company's employee evaluation process.     The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace said Thursday that it filed the complaint because the company did not negotiate before starting a performance improvement process for employees whose evaluations drop.     SPEEA Midwest director Bob Brewer says nearly 1,000 employees dropped in performance ratings without justification.The union contends management concocted a scheme to blame employees for management's poor decisions.

On Monday, SPEEA members voted and approved a new contract for its Wichita Technical and Professional Unit at Spirit AeroSystems. Seventy-two percent of voting members approved the nine-and-a-half year deal. It includes competitive annual raises, a signing bonus and more restrictions on the company's use of contract labor. Spririt released the following statement Monday night: "We congratulate everyone who worked so hard to get to this point, on both sides of the table.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace leadership has recommended union members reject Spirit AeroSystems' new 10-year contract offer. The current contract expires July 25. A vote is scheduled for July 28. The labor contract would impact some 2,300 Spirit employees. The union is concerned with wages, benefits and pensions. Spirit released the following statement: Although we're shocked and disappointed at SPEEA's stated reaction to our offer, Spirit remains focused on a fair and equitable solution.

Press Release from Sen. Sam Brownback:   WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today applauded the successful first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.  The Dreamliner this afternoon took off at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, and landed in Seattle.  "Today's historic first flight of the cutting-edge Dreamliner is a great accomplishment for the aircraft industry in Kansas and around the nation," said Brownback.  "We are all very proud of the significant role that Wichita has played in the Dreamliner's successful flight.

Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. has named a new president/CEO. The company announced today that its board of directors has chosen Larry A. Lawson to fill the position starting on April 6th. Lawson, who was executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics business segment, will take the place of Jeff Turner. Turner was Spirit's CEO since the company was formed in 2005. Turner is expected to stay on the company's board of directors. "The board sought a CEO armed with a strong record of operating and financial performance on both mature and new aircraft programs with the ability to take Spirit to the next level," said Bob Johnson, board chairman of Spirit AeroSystems in a press release.

Wichita engineers vote in favor of a new contract with Spirit AeroSystems. Ninety-two percent of SPEEA engineering unit members voted in favor of the new six year deal Tuesday. The contract guarantees minimum wage increases, reduced benefit costs and improved job security. Two-hundred and thirty-two members votes 'yes'. Just 19 voted 'no'. SPEEA represents about 800 engineers at spirit.

Spirit AeroSystems President & CEO Jeff Turner announces his plans to retire. The company made the announcement through a press release on its website. Turner says he will retire early next year. Spirit says Turner will stay on as President and CEO until the Board of Directors hires someone else for the position. "I decided to inform the Board of Directors of my intention to retire in early 2013 to ensure adequate time to find a suitable replacement, and allow for an effective handover of duties," said Jeff Turner in a press release, adding "I am proud of the great Company we have formed, the growth we have achieved since 2005 and the solid opportunities for the future.

A second death at Spirit AeroSystems prompts a Wichita family to speak out. Twenty-six year-old Matt Lyons of Wichita fell about 12 feet onto concrete at the plant Monday. It comes about a year after worker Jerry Milligan fell to his death doing a similar job. “Life completely changed just then in an instant,” says Jerry's wife, Roseanne Milligan . Roseanne and her daughter Samantha don't have many details about Jerry's death. Now they learn another man has died doing a similar job. “It's sickening...it just grieves me to think about everything we've felt and experienced… that another family is going to do that same thing,” says Roseanne in tears.

Falls are one of the leading causes of death in the workplace. Now, investigators are looking into the second fatal fall at Spirit AeroSystems in 13 months. This week 26-year-old Matt Lyons fell about 12 feet to his death.  Spirit is not saying what job Lyons was performing when he fell. FactFinder 12 requested the results of the investigation from last year's fatal incident at Spirit last August when Jerry Milligan fell to his death. The investigation found that Milligan was working on a top level platform in plant two and was exposed to a fall hazard of 13 feet.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office has identified a Spirit AeroSystems employee who died after falling on the job. Twenty-six year-old Matt Lyons of Wichita fell about 12 feet onto concrete at Plant II late Monday afternoon. He worked for Spirit for more than five years. The company is promising to worth with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration as well as other state agencies investigating the accident. Spirit released the following statement Tuesday night: We are deeply saddened that one of our team members, who has been a colleague for more than 5 years, has passed away.  Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family.

It took a direct hit from an EF3 tornado and lost nine days of production, but Spirit Aerosystems never missed a delivery deadline. On Monday Boeing, one of Spirit's biggest customers, came to town to say thanks. It looked like a concert, with free T-shirts and beach balls bouncing around the crowd. It wasn't typical activities on the first shift at Spirit, but workers have reason to celebrate. "What you guys did as a result of this event builds confidence in the customers in ways I cannot begin to tell you," said Boeing Commercial Vice President Kent Fisher.

The April 14 tornado treated Spirit AeroSystems' buildings like they were made of aluminum foil. Layers were peeled-off and tossed all over the plant. The storm debris ended-up at CDR North. "Right after the storm, there were lines and we were backed-up and we were trying to get everybody through as quickly as possible," Cornejo and Sons' Morgan Koon said. Koon says right after the storm, trucks were bringing-in hundreds of tons of trash a day.  But things have slowed-down now.  "I think on average what we've been seeing is at least an increase of 50 tons a day," Koon said.

Spirit AeroSystems will return to full production Monday, just 8 days after taking a direct hit from a mile wide tornado. A few thousand workers are back on the line, and all 10,800 will return next week for the first time since production was shut down due to the extensive storm damage at the plant. Photos: Inside Spirit AeroSystems after the Storm "Quite frankly I'm amazed with what the team has done," said Jim Hans, Spirit's 727 final production manager.

A fire broke out at Spirit AeroSystems around nine o'clock Thursday evening. Flames could be seen on a roof where crews are making repairs from last weekend's tornado. Spirit says some trash on the roof started fire and that firefighters put it out without injury. Spirit suspended operations after Saturday night's EF-2 tornado. The company has spent the past week making repairs. Photos: Damage at Spirit AeroSystems Some shipping operations have resumed.