America: My Time

Chapter 290 Gulfstream Spaceflight
Chapter 290 Gulfstream Spaceflight
When John returned home to San Francisco and saw him with his four beautiful women, his parents sighed inwardly. They were aware of John's actions, especially bringing these four women back to the family home! However, John's parents didn't mind too much; it was John's own decision, and they wouldn't object.

John's parents now want to know if the rumors are true. Not only do they want to know, but the rest of the family does too. Even John's grandfather never imagined that John would be so reckless as to acquire Hughes Aircraft Company and Pratt & Whitney. This is no small matter; it has enormous benefits for the family.

"John, did you really acquire Hughes Aircraft Company and Pratt & Whitney?"

"Yes, the acquisition is complete. Gulfstream Aerospace has taken over these two companies. Moreover, the acquisition includes not only these two companies, but also Pan Am and Western Airlines. Now I need to integrate the entire Gulfstream Aerospace. The first thing to do is to integrate Pan Am. As for Hughes and Pratt & Whitney, we can wait until the airlines are on the right track before integrating them. After all, they both have sound management mechanisms."

When John's parents heard his answer, they gasped. Although they were somewhat prepared, they were still shocked when they heard John's accurate answer. This was no ordinary company, but a military-industrial enterprise, which meant that John's network of connections would expand even further!
“John, we can’t give you any advice now, since we don’t know your plans or understand your thoughts. But you need to understand that this kind of acquisition is no small matter, and you need to prepare in advance. Such a large acquisition will attract media attention. Most importantly, industrial manufacturing is no small matter. You need to be careful and not repeat the Bentley Motors Group’s situation. If possible, settle things with Donkey as soon as possible and don’t drag it out with them.”

“I understand. Grandpa has already told me about this, and I've given the donkey a choice. My demands aren't high; I just want to see if the donkey is sincere about resolving the conflict with me. If they don't have that intention at all, then they can't blame me. These guys haven't given me a proper reply yet. I have to say, the donkey's efficiency is terrible. No wonder they got crushed by the elephant. Their efficiency is really disappointing. Time is money, and they haven't even figured out this issue. It's truly speechless.”

"It's good that you understand. But the donkeys aren't a one-man show; they need time to discuss things. As long as you're willing to reconcile, there will be a result soon, so you don't need to worry about that. However, regarding your studies, are you really sure you've decided to apply for early graduation? This is no small matter."

"Yes, I have earned enough credits to graduate, so there is no need to waste any more time. Besides, I can't stay in school forever. I need time to integrate the company after this series of acquisitions, especially Gulfstream Aerospace, which will require a lot of time to integrate."

John's reasoning was irrefutable. John was no longer the company he was when he first started out. Now, his companies were a small conglomerate with unlimited potential, so it would take time to integrate them.

"Have you thought about how to face the media? You don't want to keep hiding this time, do you? School will start soon, so you should deal with this as soon as possible."

"Once I've finished communicating with Gulfstream Aerospace and finalized the framework for Gulfstream Aerospace, I'll meet with the media and give them a satisfactory answer. Besides, haven't those guys been saying that I'm not giving American workers a chance, saying that I'm unwilling to build factories in the US? Isn't this the best counterattack? With an industrial manufacturing giant like Gulfstream Aerospace around, let's see if they dare to bring up factories again. Those donkeys will have to think about the consequences if they want to cause trouble again!"

John is right. With Gulfstream Aerospace around, anyone who continues to bring up manufacturing plants should think twice about the consequences. Hughes, Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney are all industry giants with a large number of employees. Anyone who tries to attack John with such a reason should think carefully about the serious consequences.

Fortunately, John had prepared for the talent situation. When he acquired Cathay Pacific, he had already arranged for a headhunting firm to find Carol Tomey and appoint her as CEO of Pan Am. As for the two major airlines, due to existing agreements, those with insufficient capabilities had already been removed from the companies, which made the takeover of Gulfstream Aerospace much less troublesome.

The following day, John met with all the companies now under Gulfstream Aerospace at Pan Am. The group's finances would be handled by a think tank and a professional financial firm, while John would make the overall decisions. After discussions, no one objected to John's restructuring plan. Gulfstream Aerospace would be divided into the following companies: Sikorsky Helicopters: Hughes Helicopters and Sikorsky; Pan Am: Pan Am Airlines, West Air, Executive Jet, Cathay Pacific, and the aircraft dismantling plant John had recently acquired; Hewlett-Packard Aero Engines; and Hughes Space & Communications.

Hewlett-Packard's aerospace and rocket divisions were spun off into Hughes Aerospace & Communications, becoming independent companies. While this decision has been made, the process will take time and require a gradual adjustment. The split will only proceed once morale has stabilized.

Everyone was very satisfied with the boss's decision. After the major planning, the other companies left to go back and prepare, but the people from Pan Am and West Air stayed. This time, John was going to complete the integration of them.

"You are all experienced veterans in the aviation industry, but the aviation industry is extremely dangerous these days. I am not optimistic about the future if we continue to follow the original development path of the two companies. Therefore, we need to make changes, and Ms. Carole Tomé will become the company's CEO. The airline will be integrated."

John paused here, giving everyone a moment to think, before continuing, "With the deregulation of the aviation industry, more and more airlines will emerge, and price wars will be inevitable. Many airlines will go bankrupt and be liquidated. Pan Am and West Air are currently in a very unfavorable situation, and we must change. The two major airlines will begin integrating their aircraft, standardizing their models, and rationally managing personnel scheduling to reduce logistical pressure and maintenance costs. This will be the beginning, and I believe it will be completed soon."

The staff reassignment was somewhat unexpected, but everyone could accept it. After all, it wasn't a layoff, and given the current downturn in the airline industry, everyone could understand and accept the company's arrangement.

"I don't know what your opinions or feelings are about the aviation industry, but from my layman's perspective, there are really only two paths in the aviation industry. One is to take the high-end route, perfect the service system, give customers a perfect experience, satisfy customers in everything, do everything possible to improve customer satisfaction, and focus on the high-end customer group. The other is to be a low-cost carrier, do everything possible to cut the company's operating costs, save as much as possible, focus on low prices, and grab the lowest level of customers. As for the middle route, that is a dead end, and there is no hope at all."

"Hiss!" Upon hearing John's analysis, the airline personnel present all gasped in astonishment. This was just the layman; even they, the insiders, didn't have such an insight. Their boss was simply too extraordinary.

"Since we know that the aviation industry only has these two routes, we must make changes. Pan Am, with its strong brand recognition and excellent service system, will take the first high-end route. All cabin crew will be retrained, and everything will be customer-centric. The best aircraft, cabin crew, ground staff, and pilots will be allocated to Pan Am! In short, Pan Am aims to become the best airline in the United States in terms of service, and we will continuously improve ourselves towards this goal. West Air will be transformed into a low-cost carrier, and we will standardize our aircraft models. We will focus on reducing operating costs and using the lowest prices and high-quality service to seize the market. The company will also be renamed EasyJet, with convenience and speed as our goals. After standardizing the aircraft models, if we lack aircraft, we can lease them from the second-hand market. We will sell the other aircraft that can be sold, and send the rest to aircraft dismantling plants."

John's swift and decisive action gave everyone hope, hope for Pan Am. Now, the entire airline industry is centered around Pan Am. No one expected this consolidation to be problematic. In the high-end market, as long as you provide excellent service and give customers the best experience, there won't be any issues; making money is inevitable. Low-cost carriers take a lower-end approach, and as long as they have enough customers, making money isn't difficult either. Just a small adjustment changed the situation of the two major airlines, which is truly admirable.

“Ms. Carol, from now on, the entire Pan Am Airlines is in your hands. Flight attendants and ground staff all need retraining. However, we cannot suspend flights; we can only begin in batches. You must manage this carefully and ensure it does not affect the airline's normal operations. The trainees' salaries will not be affected in any way. You must arrange this properly and prevent them from having any negative thoughts! As for the InterContinental Hotel, it will be sold to the Mandarin Oriental Group in exchange for sufficient operating funds!”

(End of this chapter)