For as much as Lycoming Engines in Williamsport has a storied and rich history, the company is forward-thinking all the way; you might say innovation is what keeps its engines running--literally.
 
Lycoming, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., produces more piston engines for general aviation manufacturers than any other company in the world. Since developing its first aircraft engine in 1929, the company has built more than 325,000 piston aircraft engines; Lycoming parts power more of the world's general aviation fleet than all other plants combined.
 
Naturally, that makes it incumbent on the company to keep innovating and developing new products. Toward that end, Lycoming opened the Advance Technology Center in 2006--an on-site research and development facility located at the company's headquarters in Williamsport, where Lycoming's engineers and skilled workforce focus on state-of-the-art engine technology, research and development, design, parts and materials.
 
The investment in innovation seems to be paying off, as aviation competitors using Lycoming engines continue to win competitions worldwide and the company continues to unveil new engineering achievements. The iE2 Integrated Electronic Engine, announced in July 2008 and heralded as a technological breakthrough, features an advanced electronic engine control system that improves engine safety, fuel efficiency, and improves overall performance under any operating conditions.
 
More recently, in December 2008, Lycoming was one of only 12 companies nationwide to receive the prestigious Shingo Silver Medallion for Operational Excellence, otherwise known as the "Nobel Prize for manufacturing".