Evergreen to close main air cargo arm
UPDATE: State filing confirms shutdown, Nov. 30 to be last day of operations
By Nicole Montesano
Of the News-Register
[UPDATE: State filing confirms Evergreen shutdown]
Evergreen International Airlines — key remaining
component of Evergreen International Aviation, following the selloff of
its helicopter division — has announced to employees by voicemail that
it will be closing its doors effective Friday, Nov. 29, according to
current and former employees. Calls seeking confirmation from the
company were not returned.
The closure will eliminate most of the parent
company's remaining workforce. However, it will not affect employees of
the helicopter division, now owned and operated by Erickson Air-Crane;
the non-profit museum complex across the highway; or, at least in any
direct way, the company's agricultural or ground support subsidiaries.
Former employees said the air cargo arm, which
once ferried freight around the world in a fleet of 747s, has been
laying off employees to the point where it is already down to a skeleton
force. They said this remaining force is due for lay off as well at the
end of November.
Employment numbers for the company vary, but
according to the McMinnville Economic Development Partnership, the
parent company listed local employment, across all of its divisions, at
463 last year. That was, of course, prior to sale of its helicopter
division to publicly traded Erickson Air-Crane in a deal valued at $250
million to $276 million, depending on some performance clauses.
MEDP Executive Director Jody Christensen declined
to comment, beyond lamenting the loss of jobs and noting it would
clearly “have an impact.”
Meanwhile, the relationship between the
for-profit company and the nonprofit museum operation on the other side
of Highway 18 remains under Oregon Department of Justice investigation.
The nub issue is whether the operations are truly separate, as required
by law. DOJ opened the probe in November 2012 and confirmed late last
month that it remained ongoing. So far, it has refused to discuss its
progress or findings.
See article in Friday's News-Register for full story.
http://newsregister.com/blog?articleTitle=evergreen-to-close-main-air-cargo-arm--1383874950--10208--open-source-blog
http://newsregister.com/blog?articleTitle=evergreen-to-close-main-air-cargo-arm--1383874950--10208--open-source-blog
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From Evergreen Aviation Website :
The Evergreen Supertanker is not just limited to fighting fire . It will be a true utilitarian aircraft with the capability to configure to different applications on short notice. This multimission aircraft can support sensitive security and environmental missions. The aircraft's exceptional drop capabilities, loiter time and size make it an ideal tool to perform challenging homeland security missions, able to neutralize chemical attacks on military installments or major population centers, and help control large, environmentally disastrous oil spills.
In addition, the upper deck of the Boeing 747 provides over 200 square feet of space that could be assigned as a command and control center. EIA possesses an FAA exemption number 1870C that permits the carriage of up to five individuals that are not crewmembers in the upper deck. This area is capable of providing space for command and control components that would assist in sophisticated mapping, incident monitoring and video/communications downlink relay that might require additional personnel over and above the required crew.
MARKETS:
• Firefighting
• Oil Spill Containment
• Weather Modification
• Biochemical Decontamination
The Evergreen Supertanker is not just limited to fighting fire . It will be a true utilitarian aircraft with the capability to configure to different applications on short notice. This multimission aircraft can support sensitive security and environmental missions. The aircraft's exceptional drop capabilities, loiter time and size make it an ideal tool to perform challenging homeland security missions, able to neutralize chemical attacks on military installments or major population centers, and help control large, environmentally disastrous oil spills.
In addition, the upper deck of the Boeing 747 provides over 200 square feet of space that could be assigned as a command and control center. EIA possesses an FAA exemption number 1870C that permits the carriage of up to five individuals that are not crewmembers in the upper deck. This area is capable of providing space for command and control components that would assist in sophisticated mapping, incident monitoring and video/communications downlink relay that might require additional personnel over and above the required crew.
MARKETS:
• Firefighting
• Oil Spill Containment
• Weather Modification
• Biochemical Decontamination
