PIEDMONITOR
Volume 9 No. 1
published and Printed by piedmont Aviation, Inc.
JANUARY 1957
essaqe
A NEW ERA FOR PIEDMONT AND FOR YOU
The freshness of a New Year, like that of
a beautiful dawn, is chal lenging to a man's
soul. So it’ is, too, with a company - at
least a good, wide awake,progressive com
pany. And I think you will agree that
each of Piedmont's New Years has, in the
past, offered an ever increasing challenge
and opportunity for all of us.
It seems to me, however, that this New
Year of 1957 is perhaps more challenging
than any previous year. Indeed, 1957 will
herald a completely new era forpiedmont.
During the past nine years, our Airline
Division has, from modest beginnings, de
veloped and grown to an enviable position
as a compony and as an integral part of a
vital, dynamic industry.
Now we are going to forge ahead, or go
backward; there Is no such thing as just
holding our own.
During 1956 we have laid the groundwork
to embark on this great new era that lies
ahead. In 1957, with divine guidance and
the enthusiastic support of each of us, we
will take off to far greater accompi ish-
ments during t h e next nine years. And,
as we all know, a good take-off is the
first essential for any successful flight.
Last year we placed orders for our new
F-27 fleet of airplanes.
We planned the most intensive sales and
promotional campaign in our history.
We moved into fine new headquarters
and maintenance buildings.
We established one of the best pension
plans In the industry.
Our Fixed Base Division enlarged its
facilities and had the biggest and best
year In its history.
We filed applications to extend our route
system to Chicago.
The coming year wi! I,however,be thetrue
test of our abilities, our strength, our
character and our stamina.
Briefly, we have two tremendously lmpoi+-
ant jobs ahead of us in 1957. Our first
big job is the financing of and preparation
and training for our new equipment pro
gram. Next will be the successful prose
cution of our application to extend our
routes to Chicago. The acconiplIshment
of these two objectives will make possible
far more growth, more public service, and
more opportunities for all of us than any
thing else that has been done in the history
of piedmont. In addition, I am confident
that this program will make It possible for
us to operate profitably without subsidy
within a relatively short period of time.
To successfully complete this big under
taking will require the hard work of every
Piedmont employee . For example, in order
to prove to the banks and financing com
panies that we can earn a profit to pay off
loans on our new F-27s, it is imperative
that we Immediately Improve our earnings
record.
Furthermore) In order to convince the CAB
that piedmont , rather than some other
carrier, should be selected to provide the
service from the area we now serve to
Chicago, we must reduce our operot -
ing costs sufficiently to prove that we con
provide this additional service and reduce
our subsidy need at the same time.
Now you may wonder where you fit into
all this, what can you do to make this
possible? The answer - A LITTLE EXTRA
EFFORT I This is The Number One Rule
of Success. It Is as simple as that. T o
be more specific, we must get more pass
engers on our airplanes and cut expenses
wherever possible.
|f each of us can say to ourselves at the
end of every day during the New Year that
we have made a reel effort to get one more
passenger to ride our airline and that we
have done a better job in our particular
assignment than ever before, then we have
nothing to worry about.
Our task ahead wil 1 notbeeasy. We have
many problems and stumbling blocks to
overcome. But I am confident we can do
it. And the rewards in the future for all
of us will be worth for more than the extra
effort.
So let's forge ahead during 1957 to afast
take-off into a bril I iant new era forPied-
mont and for you.