Lancair Now Columbia Aircraft
The Lancair Company, manufacturers of the Columbia line of
certified aircraft, announced Monday that it is formally changing
its name to Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation (CAM)
effective immediately.
The name change will create a more distinct identity for the
certified aircraft manufacturer, according to Company CEO Bing
Lantis. "We've been building Columbia certified aircraft since 1998
and still today there is confusion between the two companies using
the Lancair name."
"Although we're proud of our Lancair heritage, we feel that a
new name is essential for creating a more unique identity for our
certified aircraft," said Lantis. "Consequently the name change is
an important step in the process of building a strong global brand
upon the reputation as the premium high-performance certified
aircraft manufacturer in the world."
Before embarking on changing the company name, two independent
research firms were engaged to document confusion between the two
unrelated Lancair companies (The Lancair Company - manufacturer of
the Columbia line of certified aircraft) and Lancair International
(aircraft kit manufacturer).
The research illustrated that a certain amount of confusion
permeated the aviation industry from the consumer level up to and
including governmental agencies. The decision was made for the
certified aircraft company to become Columbia Aircraft
Manufacturing since there is no parts commonality, shared
engineering, joint marketing or any relationship between the
companies other than through the name of the founder, Lance
Neibauer.
"The move to change the company name to Columbia was a logical
one," states Randy S. Bolinger, vice president of sales &
marketing. "Columbia is already a familiar name in the aviation
community thanks to the reputation for stunning ramp appeal,
high-quality craftsmanship and extreme high-performance."
A new name is not the only change at Columbia Aircraft. The
Company continues to hire new staff as demand and production
increase. Columbia Aircraft is also nearing completion of a
significant facilities improvement program including construction
of 41,000 square feet of additional workspace. That new space
includes three new hangars adjacent to the main manufacturing
facility, one of which will house a new factory-owned upgrade and
service facility.
"2005 has been a rebirth of sorts for this company," Lantis
said. "The name change makes it official. Columbia Aircraft is
moving forward with the best certified personal aircraft on the
market and we're looking forward to a vital and exciting
future."