Piper employees enjoy their work, and they also enjoy giving back.
February 2015-
The people who design and build Piper airplanes work for the largest private sector employer in Indian River County, Fla.
Vero Beach, the largest town in the county with approximately 15,000 residents, has an economy that generally revolves around tourism, the citrus industry and services.
What we call the Treasure Coast is a great place to live, raise a family—and manufacture airplanes. We have 26 miles of oceanfront shore and in addition to ocean beaches, the Indian River Lagoon passes through Vero Beach. It forms a large part of the Intracoastal Waterway and is a center for boating, fishing, water skiing, diving, kayaking and other small-craft waterborne activities.
As you might imagine there are plenty things to do in our community after we are done for the day designing, manufacturing and supporting your airplanes. We are aviators, moms and dads, and active citizens with a wide range of interests.
Our Community Outreach committee meets monthly to look at ways we can be even more active in the community where we live, and we choose projects that support our values, reach individuals who are similar to our employee base and project a positive image of Piper.
Our past activities have included support for the Education Foundation of Indian River County through volunteering as judges at a regional science fair and recognizing accomplishments through the Piper Innovation Award.
We have also provided scholarships, supported Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and United Way’s Day of Caring and its annual campaign. We have sponsored sports initiatives for kids including a youth little league, high school boosterism and a youth football team.
We have been longtime supporters of the American Cancer Society and the Indian River Blood Bank. We recently established the Piper Pantry to provide emergency and confidential assistance for employees who are experiencing difficult times in their lives.
Last year’s achievements
In 2014, the Community Outreach Committee created a pool of employees who are strong presenters to form a company speaking team to respond to local requests.
More than 20 employees worked together to transform a truck trailer into a work of art as a support vehicle for the Vero Beach High School band.
In addition, Piper team members donated more than $1,000 of school supplies to the School District of Indian River County.
Employees and their families took part in an International Coastal cleanup at Humiston Park along the Treasure Coast.
As a confidence builder for girls from third grade to 12th grade, the company and employees sponsored a 5K race called Girls on the Run.
Piper also sponsored and participated in the Indian River Lagoon Science Festival and contributed to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Campaign and Relay for Life.
Also on the Community Outreach Committee’s agenda in 2014 was support for Habitat for Humanity, the Vero Beach Airshow, a golf tournament for the National Navy SEAL Museum and Memorial Trident House.
The Trident House is a tranquil waterfront residence on Indian River which serves as a critical and complimentary respite for the families of U.S. Navy SEALs and other military personnel who are killed in the line of duty, battle-worn or injured.
Our group sponsored Kids Blast with a Piper exhibit including a Cub mockup that was enjoyed by more than 1,500 area children. We also sponsored the Vero Beach High School softball team and the Sheriff’s Youth Camp.
The Piper team enjoys what we do for our customers, and we also enjoy where we live and play and we try to give back whenever we can.
Jackie Carlon has been Piper Aircraft’s director of marketing and communications since 2007. She designs, implements and facilitates the company’s annual marketing plan, administers the marketing operations budget and oversees all corporate communications activities. Send questions or comments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
