Business news with words aircraft+business+department. 2 news.

Willard Walpole got his start in business by buying and selling surplus airplane parts in the years after World War II. The company he founded, Wilco Inc., has grown into a multiline distributor, selling general aviation aircraft parts, motorcycle parts and a specialty line of strong, lightweight metal alloy called 1430 steel sheet and plate metal. The company is now owned by his son and daughter, Floyd Walpole and Muriel Walpole. Floyd Walpole joined the company after a career that included time at QuikTrip, the Derby refinery and, finally, the Wichita Police Department. He retired as a financial crimes detective and came back to run the family company when his father's health began to fail. About two years ago, Mike Hattrup joined the company as a sales manager after operating his aircraft parts business for 25 years.

Factory orders decline more than expected Orders to factories fell in August by the largest amount in seven months, reflecting weakness across a wide swath of manufacturing as the turbulent financial market made businesses more cautious. The Commerce Department said orders dropped 3.3 percent in August, even worse than the expected 2.8 percent decline. It was the biggest setback since orders fell 4.2 percent in January. Demand for commercial aircraft fell 39.9 percent, leading the overall decline. Orders also were weak for other industries, from autos and home appliances to industrial machine