Boomerang Greensboro launches Phase 2, focuses on aviation industry

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — As the leader of the Talent Acquisition team at Honda Aircraft Company in Greensboro, Enoch Bowles is doing what he loves in the city he loves.

“Greensboro is becoming one of the most well-known aviation hubs/meccas in the United States,” Bowles said. “We are here … Other companies are here such as HAECO. Marshall Aerospace just announced their facilities, and they’re almost at completion, and we have Boom Supersonic straight across the runway.”

Bowles is a boomerang. That means he grew up in the Gate City, moved away for college, launched his career, started a family and then came home about a year and a half ago to work in Greensboro’s ever-growing aviation industry.

“Everything just lined up where I got a job at a company I admired, and I really wanted to work at in line with returning to my hometown,” Bowles said.

He’s exactly the kind of young professional Boomerang Greensboro is now focused on bringing home.

“With the high growth of the aviation industry here in Greensboro, we’re anticipating about 15,000 new aviation jobs in the next five years to this region,” Executive Director of Action Greensboro Cecilia Thompson said. “And we know that we need that talent.”

Thompson is a self-proclaimed connector and not a recruiter. She oversees the initiative and compares Boomerang Greensboro to a concierge service. They’ve helped boomerangs network, find jobs, hire realtors and even find a cello instructor.

According to Thompson, recent migration data from the US Census, IRS and LinkedIn revealed an opportunity and helped shape Phase Two of the campaign.

“Indianapolis is a place where talent is leaving Greensboro for aviation opportunities,” Thompson said. “So we’re working to reach out, remind them that Greensboro is a great community to live in, and remind them that this is an opportunity for them to come back and be part of the really amazing growth.”

Boomerang Greensboro recently rolled out a 30-second commercial on HULU in the Indianapolis market. It features Bowles’ story, which is one they hope will resonate.

“That’s kind of the nature of Action Greensboro. We’re risk-takers. We’re not afraid to fail,” Thompson said. “And I think the beautiful thing about Boomerang Greensboro is it’s totally worked.”

The 85 families that Boomerang Greensboro helped bring home since launching in late 2020 are proof.

To measure the success of Boomerang Greensboro’s second phase, Action Greensboro plans to track the number of clicks on its website specific to the aviation industry.

If it gets a lot of traction, they’ll expand to other industries outside aviation.

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