General Dynamics to realign aerospace brands

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General Dynamics to Realign Aerospace Brands. Four Brands to Consolidate into Two

General Dynamics Aerospace group will consolidate four
well-respected aviation brands into two in a move to simplify and strengthen
its brand identity in an expanding global market.

Effective 1 January 2011, General Dynamics Aviation Services
will be rebranded Gulfstream, and Midcoast Aviation will be rebranded Jet
Aviation. The rebranding initiative is expected to enhance the service
experience for customers.

“The take-away is that we have a service presence at 44
locations around the world, and this organization is growing to meet the
demands of an ever more international customer base,” said Joe Lombardo,
executive vice president, General Dynamics Aerospace group, which includes both
Gulfstream and Jet Aviation. “We are investing to provide the best service
wherever customers land.”

Midcoast Aviation to rebrand as Jet Aviation.

In a move designed to simplify and harmonize Jet Aviation’s
growing brand footprint around the world, the Midcoast Aviation operation in St. Louis will be
rebranded to Jet Aviation effective 1 January 2011. Jet Aviation and Midcoast
Aviation strategically complement one another and are together one of the
leading providers of completions, maintenance and modifications in the world.

Over the past several years, significant investments have been
made in the St. Louis
operation. A 145,000-square-foot hangar was built in late 2008 to expand the
company’s current service offering to include narrow-body completions and
refurbishment. The facility also has been readying itself for narrow-body
projects by seeking Federal Aviation Administration and original equipment
manufacturer approvals and by sending technicians for training on narrow-body
airframes and working closely with their Jet Aviation Basel counterparts.

The identity change is the next step in a logical progression
to supplement Jet Aviation’s completions center in Basel, Switzerland,
which is at capacity for narrow-body completions. The organization has been
working toward developing an additional resource for performing this work.

Another key competency of Midcoast Aviation is providing
maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to operators of top-tier
aircraft, including Challenger, Falcon, Hawker, Global and Gulfstream models.
From simple inspections to complex repairs, the company has a reputation for
MRO excellence. Rebranding the operation will more fully integrate it as part
of the Jet Aviation global maintenance service network.

The St. Louis
facility began operating in 1971 and it employs nearly 1,000 people. The
company was acquired by Jet Aviation in 2006. Today, Midcoast Aviation is
recognized as one of the most respected independent service providers in the U.S.
with an outstanding reputation for quality in its completions and MRO
businesses.

General Dynamics Aviation Services to rebrand as Gulfstream

General Dynamics Aviation Services, a network of five
service-center locations, will begin operating under the Gulfstream name on 1 January
2011. Gulfstream and General Dynamics acquired the locations by purchasing K-C
Aviation from Kimberly Clark Corp. in 1998 and Signature Regional
Maintenance Centers
from BBA Aviation in 2001. Since then, those locations have provided service to
Gulfstream aircraft as well as those from other original equipment
manufacturers. The five centers will continue to service Challenger, Falcon,
Gulfstream, Hawker and other manufacturers’ business-jet aircraft.

“We expect the service to get even better as we continue to
invest in and expand our service organization,” said Mark Burns, president,
Gulfstream Product Support and General Dynamics Aviation Services.

Burns will continue to have responsibility for the
consolidated network after the name change.

General Dynamics Aviation Services has facilities in:
Appleton, Wis.; Dallas; Las Vegas; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Westfield, Mass.
Gulfstream has five service centers in the U.S. and one in Luton, England. The
combined Gulfstream service organization has more than 3,300 employees. It is
the largest OEM-operated business-aviation service organization in the world
and is regularly rated No. 1 in independent surveys.

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