Textron Recognized by APQC for Innovative Practices in Effectively Recruiting, Selecting and Retaining Talent

Business Wire, Sept 7, 2007

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) today announced that it has been recognized by APQC (American Productivity & Quality Center), an internationally renowned resource for process and performance improvement, as one of six best-practice partner organizations studied for excellence in recruiting, selecting and retaining talent. This recognition closely aligns with Textron's vision to be the premier multi-industry company, recognized for its network of powerful brands, world-class enterprise processes and talented people.

"Textron is extremely proud of this achievement and the recognition from APQC," said Risa Borr, director, Textron Talent Acquisition Center. "We work very hard to be best in class when it comes to recruiting, selecting and retaining talent, and this nod further affirms our hard work in that area. People are among our most important resources, and the practices and strategies we have in place are allowing Textron to find and keep those talented people."

Textron was one of six companies identified as a best-practice company. Others include Abbott Laboratories, Booz Allen Hamilton, Lincoln Financial Group, Microsoft, and TELUS.

During the process to find the top best-practice companies for recruiting, selecting and retaining the most talented professionals, Textron was distinguished from a large group for its exceptional performance and innovative approaches in establishing a rigorous process in this very competitive market. The selection committee specifically noted that Textron's practices for leveraging external relationships to assist talent sourcing were exceptional.

"Textron knows how to get in front of the change curve, which is why the company is being recognized for this best practice," said Ruth Stevelman, project manager at APQC. "Our mission is to help organizations learn from best-practice partners like Textron, and being able to share examples of how the company wins in the war for talent in this tight labor market will most certainly benefit many of our members."

A report detailing APQC's key findings and providing in-depth case studies from the best-practice companies will be available to the public this winter.

ABOUT APQC

A global resource for process and performance improvement, APQC helps organizations build better ways to work, adapt to change, and succeed in the marketplace. Each time APQC convenes a consortium to study a business process or issue, a select group of participating organizations are chosen to serve as best-practice partners. These organizations must have exhibited exceptional performance or employed innovative approaches in the research area, and are studied in depth to help APQC identify what elements are key to their success. APQC's experts guide the process, conduct the research, and develop a formal report for approximately one-tenth the cost of one-on-one benchmarking. Founded in 1977, APQC is a member-based nonprofit that serves more than 500 organizations in all sectors of business, education, and government. For more information, visit www.apqc.org.

ABOUT TEXTRON

Textron Inc. is an $11 billion multi-industry company operating in 32 countries with approximately 40,000 employees. The company leverages its global network of aircraft, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Fluid & Power, Textron Systems and Textron Financial Corporation. More information is available at www.textron.com.