SABRELINER CITED FOR FLOOD ACTION

PERRYVILLE -- Sabreliner Corp. has received a special award from the Army Aviation Association of America for its actions during last year's flood at its Perryville facility.

Flood preparations by Sabreliner, headquartered in St. Louis, saved tools and equipment necessary to continue the Army T53 helicopter engine rebuilding program without interruption.

In early July, with Mississippi River floodwaters threatening the Perryville Municipal Airport area, site of a major Sabreliner facility, company management decided to move government property to safe warehouse areas and establish alternative operations sites.

The firm leased two building in downtown Perryville and hangar space at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport, said Barry Dunnegan of Tretter-Gorman Inc., which handles public relations for Sabreliner.

"All flyable aircraft were taken to Sabreliner's Lambert Field facility," said Dunnegan. "A lot of the workers from Perryville traveled to continue working on the aircraft."

Filing cabinets, computers and other small equipment were stored in employees' cars and their homes, said Dunnegan. "Everybody pitched in," said Dunnigan. "It was a total effort by Perryville workers. When the flood hit, they were ready."

The flood hit on July 25 when the Mississippi River levee broke near the Perryville facility, flooding the airport and thousands of acres of land surrounding it.

"We had moved about 91 percent of all government property at that time," said F. Holmes Lamoreux, chairman and chief executive officer of Sabreliner. "But we were not content with that accomplishment."

The company put together a team of personnel and professional divers to recover the remaining 9 percent of equipment from the flooded facility."

The Army Aviation Association has recognized Sabreliner's example of service and readiness among Army aviations suppliers, presenting the company with its Material Readiness Award.

Sabreliner received the award Thursday night at the Stouffer Concourse Hotel in St. Louis during the association's annual product support symposium. The company was cited for its part in advanced planning and timely action averting a significant threat to the Army of its UH-1 Huey helicopter T53 engine inventory.

Sabreliner prevented the loss of $38 million in government inventory, including $23.6 million in T53 engine rebuild inventory on hand at Sabreliner prior to the flood.

"This award reflects the extraordinary efforts of all Sabreliner employees before and during the flood crisis to save government and company property necessary for us to continue fulfilling our contracts," said Lamoreux.

"Despite all the problems caused by the flood, Sabreliner's Army contracts remain at the highest level of quality, and production remains on or ahead of schedule," said an association spokesman in presenting the award. "Sabreliner's performance has been exceptional and it reflects great credit on this dedicated small business."

Sabreliner's accomplishments are even more remarkable considering that less than a week after moving the equipment from Perryville, floodwaters in Chesterfield, Mo., claimed the company's headquarters and its Spirit of St. Louis Service Center.

Despite flood problems, Sabreliner has maintained T53 deliveries ahead of schedule and, its other Army contracts -- T53 control overhaul, UH-60 hydraulic pump overhaul and T-700 engine overhaul -- remain on or ahead of schedule.

The association is comprised of active Army and reserve personnel involved as pilots or in maintenance, logistics, readiness, training and other fields related to Army aviation.

Sabreliner Corp. is a diversified aerospace service, maintenance and modifications firm that supports a variety of commercial, government and military aircraft, engines, systems and components. It employs 562 people at seven locations.

Work has resumed at the Perryville facility, said Dunnegan. "There's still some work to be completed there," he said. "But the engine test cell is okay, and work is being conducted at most airport buildings."