Piper Aircraft has rated its 2012 as a year of "steadiness" that will prepare it well for further growth. The year also marked the company's 75th anniversary.
"We stabilised the manufacturing and delivery of new aircraft throughout the year as our initiative to level-load factory production met with success," said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott.
"At the same time our overall aircraft deliveries rose faster than the rest of the industry. The company also continued to work on long-range plans for the future."
The year was highighted by a deal with Florida's Department of Economic Opportunity to keep manufacturing in Vero Beach and meet R&D and employment targets in exchange for $US6 million in incentives over four years. See the full story here.
Piper appointed several new agents around the world, and production levels and deliveries training aircraft are up. Sales of their flagship M-class singles are also reported to be healthy.
Piper Aircraft and the Piper Cub's year-long 75th anniversary celebration culminated with a customer fly-in in Vero Beach in November. The weekend featured a vendor exhibits, aircraft static display, customer awards, factory tours and a history lesson from Piper's official historian.
The company will be exhibiting at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon this year, and hopes to have an example of the PA-46 Mirage six-seat single on show.