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."

FMI: www.flycolumbia.com