VERO BEACH — Piper Aircraft says it will hire back qualified terminated employees before it hires workers “off the street” as it ramps up for an increase in production in the second half of the year.The company reiterated its hiring policy in response to a letter it sent to about 300 workers laid off last year informing them they were now considered terminated. Chief Company spokesperson Mark Miller said the notices were part of company policy to move former employees from their recall list. “Piper will, of course, recall all qualified former employees before we hire off the street,” Miller said in a written statement. “Piper policy, however, requires us us to take people off the recall list after one year. Although we have not exhausted our list of former employees to recall — and we are hiring from those ranks — we have recently had a number of recalls who have either secured other jobs or have left the Vero Beach area. As a result, and in anticipation of increased manufacturing demand in the second half of 2010, we are seeking to build a pool of qualified potential employees.”Piper CEO Kevin Gould said at a Singapore airshow last week the company was expecting an increase in production of more than 50 percent in 2010 compared to 2009. The company has continued to hire engineers for its PiperJet project and has added a few positions after reaching a marketing agreement with a Czech Republic company to market and distribute a light sport aircraft to be called PiperSport.Anyone interested in applying at Piper should visit the Piper Web site at www.newpiper.com and follow the link labelled company to careers.
