It’s been just a week since the shutdown of Centennial Airport-based Adam Aircraft’s operations, but the company’s 800 former employees are already being courted heavily by aviation companies around the country.
Colorado’s high-profile aircraft-development industry has nearly disappeared in the span of three months with the suspension of work at Aviation Technology Group in December, also based at Centennial Airport, followed by Adam Aircraft’s layoff of its remaining 500 employees Feb. 11.
But the industry in other parts of the country is thriving and in dire need of engineers and other skilled workers.
“There seem to be an awful lot of opportunities,” said Leland Reichelt, who was an avionics technician at Adam Aircraft until last week and went to a Bombardier Learjet interview session Monday.
“There’s a tremendous shortage of employees right now, especially of the engineering sort,” said Kate Dougherty, spokeswoman at Cirrus Design Corp. in Duluth, Minn., which is holding an information session in the Denver area Thursday. “It’s actually a growing concern for us that we don’t have enough people to employ.”
Kerry Manning, a former Adam Aircraft structural engineer who has been in Colorado since he was 6 years old, said he will probably have to leave town for a new job.
“Between losing both of those employers (Adam and ATG), there’s not many opportunities” in Colorado, Manning said.
Bombardier Learjet human-resources business partner Jenna McCormack said the company decided to hold the interview session in the metro area after hearing that Adam Aircraft closed its doors. Most of the jobs that Bombardier Learjet is hiring for are in Wichita.
“In Wichita, we’re the air capital — with Cessna, Spirit (AeroSystems), Hawker Beechcraft and Boeing — so we’re all fighting for the same engineers,” McCormack said. “So it’s beneficial to us to step outside to look for employees.”
Other companies hiring include Eclipse Aviation, which has brought to market a very light jet.
Dassault Falcon Jet in Little Rock, Ark., is holding career events today and Wednesday at the Denver Sheraton Tech Center. Gulfstream held an information session Monday evening in Englewood.
Kelly Yamanouchi: 303-954-1488 or kyamanouchi@denverpost.com
