Kerrville airplane manufacturer announces comeback

A. Lee Graham Reporter   Five years after putting the brakes on single-engine airplane manufacturing, Kerrville-based Mooney Aviation Co. Inc. has announced plans to restart production in January 2014.   Thanks to funding from California-based Soaring America Corp., Mooney said it is ready to spread its wings once again. Financial details were not disclosed as Mooney plans to resume manufacturing the Acclaim Type S, as well as the Ovation series.   “It’s a new day for Mooney. And with a new investment group that is committed to the future, we’re expecting to make a strong move in the industry,” said Chief Financial Officer Barry Hodkin in a news release.   “It’s been a long time coming and we couldn’t be more excited about our return to manufacturing one of the finest and most trusted airplane fleets in the industry,” Hodkin said.    The company plans to hire and train a new workforce while reestablishing its supply chain. It plans to recruit up to 100 people within the first year of operation. Positions include technicians, engineers, line workers, accounting and sales people. Within two years, the company said it anticipates employing “significantly more people depending on the demand for its products.   Mooney ceased production when recessionary woes struck in 2008 as single-engine aircraft sales dropped by more than 30 percent compared to the previous year. The company now expresses confidence in the industry. More information is available at www.mooney.com.   lgraham@bizpress.net