Doosan part of BalloonFest tradition

By: Bethany Fuller | Statesville Record & Landmark
Published: October 21, 2011

When the balloons were inflating in front of Doosan Infracore Portable Power on Friday morning, company President Shawn Sweet was pretty adamant that he would be keeping both feet on the ground.
But 15 minutes later, he was standing in the basket of Kenny Shumate’s pumpkin balloon as it gained altitude over Interstate 77.
Sweet’s first balloon ride was a part of the media flights for Carolina BalloonFest. “It was cool,” he said.
It’s become a bit of a tradition for the employees at Doosan to arrive at work the morning before BalloonFest to a yard full of hot air balloons. The media flights are usually given to local members of the press, both broadcast and print, to generate interest in the annual festival at the Statesville Regional Airport.
“I like to enjoy my flight,” said Shumate, owner and pilot for “Balloon Rides Over Orlando, Balloonatic Promotions."
Doosan is ideally situated because the manufacturer is just off the I-40 and -77 interchange.
“It’s really great,” said Doosan Human Resource Vice President Agripino “Pino” Serrano. “Our employees really like the opportunity to come out here and see this.”
The balloons surprised many of the employees the first time.
“We had no idea it was coming by,” said Tommy Gobble, who has worked at Doosan for four years. “They got different ones every year.”
"It's beautiful," added Crissy Ranker, a calibration technician at Doosan.
Today, Doosan is one of the big sponsors at Carolina BalloonFest. Sweet said Doosan donates the generators and lights used at Carolina BalloonFest.

Doosan part of BalloonFest tradition

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