NetJets Consolidates Gulfstream Ops in Columbus

When NetJets introduced large-cabin Gulfstream jets to its fleet, it set up a separate business entity to accommodate the new level of service. Though the fractional ownership model was essentially the same as for its smaller jets, there were significant differences — for example, fractional owners could specify pilots they wanted to fly with. The separate branch was headquartered at Hilton Head, South Carolina (within hailing distance of the Gulfstream factory in Savannah, Georgia). All that was under NetJets founder Richard Santulli, and before the company was acquired by Warren Buffett's Berkshire-Hathaway. But now, in a move to trim expenses, NetJets Chairman and CEO David Sokol is bringing the large-cabin operation further in-house to company headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. Sokol, who was appointed to lead NetJets after the departure of Santulli, said, "We believe this development will further unite and strengthen our North American operations."