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Wichita Eagle; Out of Office

Rachel Groene, left, of Greteman Group talks with Mary Beth Chambers of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas at a Public Relations Society of America Kansas Chapter meeting on Tuesday. Photo courtesy of Greteman Group © Wichita Eagle, 2014


Upward Bound: Aviation Marketplace Projections

The best thing you can tell a roomful of aviation professionals is that the industry they love and depend on is poised for growth.

And that’s the welcome news respected aviation forecaster Rolland Vincent conveyed as Wichita Aero Club’s August keynote speaker. Vincent analyzed where we are, how we got here and where we’re going.

Route to Recovery

You can’t have sales without buyers. And business aviation prospects have been wary. While cash rich,

Aviation forecaster and keynote speaker Rolland Vincent. Photo: Darin LaCrone
Aviation forecaster and keynote speaker Rolland Vincent. Photo: Darin LaCrone

understandably, they have been risk averse. We can thank the worst downturn since the Great Depression for that.

Other factors contribute, too. Vincent pointed out the cratered light market, evaporated backlogs, spiked pre-owned aircraft inventory, and plummeted pre-owned transactional prices. Stricter credit requirements in aircraft lending have played a role, as well. “Maybe it’s not as friendly a conversation as it used to be,” Vincent said.

Other market-suppressing realities include demand and supply forces that remain out of line, lower flight utilization and idled aircraft, an oversupply of light and midsize jets, new competition and product life cycles. But you can’t keep this industry down. Vincent’s data tells a positive, future-forward story. Things are about to get better. And to keep improving.

Last year was the second-highest dollar delivery in aviation history. Demand between now and 2023 is projected to result in roughly 9,400 business jet deliveries valued at $267 billion. And the urgency begins now. A recent survey by Rolland Vincent Associates identified 10 percent of 8,000 operators – that’s 800, people – likely to buy a jet within the next 12 months. “Why are you still here?” Vincent teased. “Lunch is over. Get out and sell.”

What Will Buyers Buy?

And what do these prospects want? Bigger cabins and longer range. Our increasingly, interconnected global economy is driving the need for longer ranges and more comfortable cabins for those longer flights. Our expanding waistlines factor in, too. Vincent pulled up a chart showing how people have physically gotten bigger over the past decades. The 95th percentile male weighed 217 pounds and stood close to 6 foot 1 inch in 1962. Latest stats how him weighing in at more than 269 pounds and gaining almost an inch in height. The marketplace is responding. Wichita, for example, is producing its first standup cabin – Textron Aviation’s Citation Latitude – which Vincent predicts “will be a very successful program.” BizJetsCharts_02a BizJetsCharts_02b The World Needs Biz Av

The United States operates 60 percent of the world’s business jets. Its economy shows signs of recovery with the stock market up and corporate profits rising. Other areas of the world appear posed for business aviation growth, particularly Latin America and China. Vincent pointed out that China – boasting the world’s fastest-growing economy – is now building 70 airports and should be a strong export market for Wichita for many, many years. Vincent projected 718 business jet deliveries in 2014, up from 678 in 2013.

Nothing spurs economic development like aviation. “If I was a community, I’d be building a 5,000 to 6,000-foot runway.” Compared to building roads and other massive infrastructure in a depressed or isolated area, he said, “What’s a mile of concrete cost?” BizJetsCharts_02c What About Supersonic?

Recent research Vincent conducted on behalf of Aerion Corporation shows prospective buyers’ ever-greater interest in supersonic flight. “There’s a market for high speed,” Vincent said. People want the time savings and have the attitude, “Show me a real airplane and I’ll buy it.” It almost doesn’t matter what price you charge, Vincent said, because there’s no one else offering the product.

Rolland Vincent shakes hands with Wichita Aero Club President Dave Franson as he steps up to the stage. Photo: Darin LaCrone
Rolland Vincent shakes hands with Wichita Aero Club President Dave Franson as he steps up to the stage. Photo: Darin LaCrone

Champion of the Air Capital

Vincent remains bullish on the community he called home for 10 years. And, when he hears people question whether it could be the next Detroit, he says they ought to be ashamed. He pointed to the many good things happening in Wichita. The innovations coming out of the National Institute of Aviation Research. The Textron Aviation merger of the Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker brands. How the Bombardier Learjet brand shines. Spirit AeroSystems’ all-systems-go approach. (“They can have airplanes falling off trains and they don’t even blink,” he said.) Not only is Wichita a great community with great people – its aviation industry serves a critical need. He said we must battle any perceptions that this is service for the elite: “There is no better way to move from Point A to B.”

Business Aviation Needs No Excuse

Vincent’s research reveals that 4 percent of owners and operators cite public opinion as a inhibitor to business aircraft purchase. Vincent finds that astonishing. And something that must change. “This is the choir,” he said. “I want that number to be zero.” Rollie Vincent’s full presentation can be viewed online at: http://www.wichitaaeroclub.org/blog/?p=298

This column ran in the August 28 issue of BlueSky Business Aviation News.


Wichita Eagle; Out of the Office

Rolland Vincent of Rolland Vincent Associates talks with Deanna Harms of Greteman Group at a Wichita Aero Club luncheon on Tuesday.

Photo by Molly McMillin

© Wichita Eagle, 2014


Wichita Business Journal; 40 Under 40 Event

The Wichita Business Journal brought big changes to the 17th annual 40 Under 40 awards, held July 31 at the Hyatt Regency Wichita. Four previous honorees made up the inagural class of the 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame: Sonia Greteman, George Laham, Mike Pompeo and John Tomblin.

Honoree Karen Countryman-Roswurm was chosen to be the first recipient of the Pat Ayars Mentoring Award. Each 2014 recipient walked to the stage to a song they had chosen. Since the program began in 1998 the Wichita Business Journal has honored 680 young leaders.

Photos by Josh Heck and Kellen Jenkins

Featured above: Sonia Greteman, The Greteman Group, and John Tomblin, NIAR.

© Wichita Business Journal, 2014


Wichita Business Journal 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame

The inaugural Wichita Business Journal 40 Under 40 class in 1998 included our very own sassy redhead, and now its first-ever Hall of Fame induction includes her as well. Making the honor even more special, Sonia is longtime friends with the three other inductees. She first met George Laham as a fellow member of that initial 40 Under 40 class and later helped brand his Bradley Fair lifestyle center; worked with U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo when he came to Kansas years ago and started an aerospace company; and serves with John Tomblin on the Wichita Aero Club board. WBJ Publisher John Ek said, “I do believe that these four set the tone and standard for what we are looking to recognize – entrepreneurism, impact on our community, influence on the business community and continuing ability to play a significant role.”

40under40


Wichita Business Journal; 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame

Sonia Greteman
Greteman Group

Who were your mentors and what did you learn from them?
My life has been populated by people who have believed in and supported me. They helped me realize my odd combination of creative moxie and business acumen.

  • Judy Greteman – My mother has enjoyed a 75-year love affair with books, which has influenced my perpetual curiosity. Her example has taught me to always keep learning and to do so with passion. She continues to inspire me through her many efforts: volunteering at TOP, teaching children the magic of books and giving herself to others.
  • Ken Greteman – Dad was my coach and I credit early life lessons to playing intramural Catholic sports. You have to see victory to achieve it. Trust in your teammates, play fair, keep your chin up and never let your opponent see you cry.
  • Deanna Harms – One of the best decisions of my business life was bringing her onto the team. She inspires me every day to do my best. Do the work. Prepare. Dig in. Sweat the verb. Employ an active voice. Remove the exclamation points. She’s made me a better writer and thinker. She’s the most energetic, committed professional I know.

Tell us about any key decisions or tuning points in your career.

  • Having the guts to stand out when it is easier to blend in.
  • Hiring people who are smarter than me and empowering them to do great things.
  • Landing Learjet. Almost 25 years ago, it put us on our path to specialize in aviation.
  • Taking the risk to put my name on the door and my name on the work.

© Wichita Business Journal, 2014


Wichita Business Journal; People on the Move, Moving Up

Sarah Goertz
Digital Director, Greteman Group

What was your last position?
Digital marketing and social media manager at Beechcraft and Textron Aviation.

What is your hometown?
I moved to Derby from the Texas panhandle at age 12.

Education?
I earned a bachelors of science in multimedia journalism from Oklahoma State University and an associates of applied science in digital media from Butler Community College.

Family?
Husband, Matt, and 1-year-old daughter, Bianca.

What was your first job?
At 15, I sold newspaper subscriptions over the phone for the Derby Informer.

How long have you lived in Wichita and what are your impressions of the city?
As an adult, I’ve lived in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado, but I always found my way back home to Wichita.

What area of town do you live in?
I live in Maize and served on the city of Maize planning commission for four years.

Who is the person you would most like to meet?
My paternal grandmother, Faedra Lorraine, was killed in a train accident on a country road when my father was 7 years old. I look at her photos and see reflections of myself.

What was the last book you read?
“Green Eggs and Ham” was technically the last book I read.

What is your favorite Wichita restaurant and why?
Abuelos for two reasons. It’s where we go as a family for Mother’s Day, birthdays, you name it. It’s also where I went to lunch with my co-workers when I worked at Beechcraft.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I like going to a Sandals Resort on any tropical island with white sandy beaches. There’s something exhilarating about walking into a restaurant with no money in your pocket and ordering anything you want to eat or drink. It feels free even though it really isn’t.

What are your favorite movies?
Quentin Tarantino’s “True Romance.” It’s disturbing, but the characters and soundtrack are spellbinding. I actually walked down the wedding aisle to the movie’s opening music.

© Wichita Business Journal, 2014


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