VERO BEACH, Fla., Aug. 24, 2010 — Piper Aircraft, Inc., has named successful aircraft sales executive Drew McEwen as Director of Sales, Americas. McEwen joins Piper after a 28-year career at Hawker Beechcraft Corp. and leads Piper’s Regional Office in Vero Beach, working with dealers and agents throughout the Americas.
“Drew’s mission is to maximize long-term Piper sales and help dealers and the dealer network achieve success,” said Piper Executive Vice President Randy Groom. “He will work to ensure that Piper has strong representation throughout the Americas and will recruit dealers and agents in strategic areas.”
McEwen is the highest single sales producer in Beechcraft history, selling more than $1 billion in aircraft. He held a number of senior and diverse sales and marketing positions during his years with that company. Among his roles were vice president of sales for Hawker Beechcraft Services, vice president of Executive Beechcraft Sales, vice president of Product Support, vice president of Aircraft Charter/Management, vice president of Aftermarket Sales/Marketing, and vice president of Sales and Marketing for Beechcraft’s fractional aircraft ownership company.
Groom said McEwen brings vast experience to Piper and other valuable assets as well. “Drew is a leader with integrity, and a good listener who will work very hard to ensure the success of the company and its dealers,” said Groom, who worked closely with McEwen at Hawker Beechcraft.
McEwen is a pilot with 1,900 flight hours along with twin and instrument ratings. He earned a bachelor’s in communication from Arizona State University. He has studied sales and marketing strategies, professional selling skills, and concepts of management at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. As part of his mission, McEwen recently met with Piper dealers and agents at AirVenture 2010 in Oshkosh and has hit the road to meet with many Piper sales organizations.
In addition to focusing on sales in the Americas, Piper Aircraft will expand its global sales presence in 2010 by adding a sales office in Europe for the Europe/Middle East/Africa regions. The company also will expand its sales office in Brunei, which supports the Asia/Pacific region.
Piper Aircraft Inc. is headquartered in Vero Beach, Fla. A global force in aviation, Piper offers nine efficient models of single-engine and twin-engine trainer, personal and business aircraft. Piper Aircraft designs, manufactures, sells and supports the strongest and broadest single-engine product in the industry, from high-performance pistons to turboprops to the world’s most fuel-efficient seven-person business jet, the PiperJet. With economical acquisition and operating cots, Piper airplanes deliver the best values available today and into the future. Piper is a member of the General Aviation Manufacturers Associations.
