Eclipse Aviation News
An accomplished aviation professional that was most recently vice president of quality at Cessna, Holter will lead Eclipse's creation and implementation of high-volume manufacturing and quality operations company wide. Garnes, most recently a senior manager at Bearing Point, and previously with Sikorsky, will use his considerable business management experience to ensure the timely completion and delivery of the Eclipse 500. Working with all functional groups, he will institute a strong program structure at Eclipse, which will drive current and future aircraft programs.
“As the leader in the entry level jet market, we are building an enduring business driven by a world-class management team,” said Vern Raburn, president and CEO of Eclipse Aviation. “Rod and Gene bring strong aviation and senior management experience to the table, and are a perfect complement to our existing leadership team. I am confident their contributions will be invaluable as we move forward to deliver the Eclipse 500 and ultimately change the way people travel.”
Prior to joining Eclipse, Holter was the vice president of quality at Cessna where he utilized Six Sigma Black and Green Belts and was responsible for FAA coordination, ISO 9001, AS9100, Global Sourcing and Quality 2020. During his tenure at Cessna he also oversaw all aspects of a large cabin aircraft assembly with numerous assembly lines and multi-plant operations, while implementing lean manufacturing techniques and process based management. Holter gained 27 years of aviation experience working at Cessna, Aerostructures, Fairchild and Piper.
Garnes comes to Eclipse with high-level management experience working as an executive consultant to two major aerospace corporations and overseeing the management team responsible for the Sikorsky S76 helicopter program. Most recently, while a senior manager at Bearing Point, he led a team of consultants that advised Boeing and Honeywell on business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, e-business, procurement and operations improvement. Earlier in his career, Garnes was responsible for the sales, design, assembly, avionics integration, flight operations and delivery of the Sikorsky S76 helicopter program.
Eclipse Aviation is in the business of designing, certifying and producing modern, affordable jet aircraft that will revolutionize the transportation market. The company is applying advanced electronics systems, manufacturing and business practices to produce aircraft that cost less than a quarter of today's small jet aircraft, will be significantly safer and easier to operate than those of today, and have the lowest cost of ownership ever achieved in a jet aircraft.
The goal of Eclipse is to bring the word "personal" into aviation, making it possible for commercial air passengers to move directly between cities on a quick, affordable and convenient basis. It will also allow pilot owners to enter the world of jet-powered aviation.