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Suppliers' Voice
December 2001
Volume 2, No. 6
Aerospace: Creating a National Vision and Inspiring New Pioneers
By Bill Lewandowski, AIA Vice President, Supplier Management
Two themes contributed by AIA’s Supplier Management Council (SMC) that the Presidential Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry should weigh — creating an industry vision and inspiring new-age pioneers — should become the force to re-energize the robustness and preeminence of American aerospace.
During its fall meeting in Ft. Worth early last month, the SMC honed its issues for presentation to the commission, which began its investigation and deliberations on November 27. SMC representatives began developing issues for the commission last March.
Not since President John F. Kennedy reaffirmed America’s commitment to landing a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s has there been a national research and technology goal that has stirred the country to action.
Back then, astronauts and engineers became heroes. High school science fairs became popular, and students who participated were recognized for their accomplishments by the rest of the student body. Universities and colleges attracted the brightest and the best the United States had to offer in pursuit of aerospace science and engineering degrees.
It was a technology race that was talked about over family dinner tables and covered by the news media on a daily basis.
Aerospace grew to become the U.S. industry with the single largest positive trade balance of any sector of the U.S. economy and is considered a crown jewel that makes America great.
In the wake of the September 11 terrorism and its impact on civil aviation, we expect declining sales in the civil sector along with renewed European challenges to our global leadership in aerospace.
It’s time for an aerospace vision championed by President Bush to stir the country to action, provide impetus for research and technology, and raise awareness of the importance of aerospace to the U.S. economy and our national security.
The proposed national vision developed by the SMC consists of three phases that would energize people to promote aerospace research and technology:
- One is immediate and calls for the use of technologies to ensure the security and safety of passengers in civil aviation.
- The second promotes the research and technology that will enable the Joint Strike Fighter and the Sonic Cruiser to become on-schedule realities.
- The third would inspire research and technology to make supersonic transport affordable for all flyers by 2015.
As the SMC fine-tuned it message, the question arose about the relevance of attracting and retaining scientists, engineers, and skilled factory workers in this time of industry layoffs. The conclusion was that this issue is more important than ever after the terror of September 11.
In a few years, maybe as soon as two, the industry will rebound and, hopefully, be on its way to implementing a National Aerospace Vision inspired by the Commission on Aerospace and championed by the president.
Furthermore, many experienced aerospace workers will retire in the next few years, leaving a void in the human resources necessary to bring about the vision.
That will mean that a recruitment effort will be critical over the next 20 years to develop the necessary "New Pioneers."
We must begin now to excite our young people and inspire them to become scientists, engineers, and technologists — the new heroes.
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Kennebec Tool & Die Expands Machining Capability, Wins Supplier Award
SMC member Kennebec Tool & Die Co., Inc. (KTD) has added a new six-pallet horizontal machining center to its manufacturing capabilities.
Acquisition of the Kiwa KNH-426 multi-pallet CNC mill reduces setup and lead times, increases capacity, and helps meet customer requirement for "better, faster, cheaper."
The machine is located on the shop floor near the CNC lathe to gain additional lean manufacturing benefits.
Established in 1972, KTD supplies precision machined components and assemblies to the aerospace, semiconductor, medical, and communications industries.
The company was recently named "Supplier of the Year" by Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems, also an AIA member. In addition, Kennebec received the 2001 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence from Maine Governor Angus King.
KTD is located in Augusta, Maine.
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Fall SMC Meeting Focuses on Supplier Issues
Scores of AIA Supplier Management Council (SMC) members took part in discussions of supplier issues during the organization’s fall meeting in Ft. Worth, Texas, last month.
The meeting was held in conjunction with the Lockheed Martin Suppliers Conference, a timely event for SMC members because Lockheed only a few weeks earlier had won a major contract from the Defense Department to build the next-generation Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.
Also, participants toured the large and dynamic Lockheed Martin F-16 production facilities in Ft. Worth.
An overriding topic of discussion during most formal and informal events at the SMC gathering centered on the impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11 on the aerospace industry in general and suppliers in particular.
John W. Douglass, president and CEO of the association, was a keynote speaker at the suppliers conference, offering views on the state of the aerospace industry two months following the terror attacks and just a few weeks after U.S.-led military action began in Afghanistan.
"The tragic terrorist attacks have made it crystal clear," Douglass told the suppliers, "just how important the aerospace industry is to the U.S. transportation system, the economy, and national defense.
"The aerospace industry will support the president and the Defense Department in their efforts to do whatever is necessary in the war against international terrorism," he added.
Four workshops took place during the meeting on issues of importance to suppliers. The workshop topics and group leaders were:
- National Vision and Attracting and Retaining Talent (Bill Brown of Kaman Aerospace and Mike Grosso of DynaBil Industries)
- Life Cycle Innovation and R&D Funding (Delton Robinson of Rockwell Collins and Robert Patrick of Group Technologies)
- International Competition and National Competitiveness (Judy Northup of Vought Aircraft Industries and Peter Rettaliata of Air Industries Machining Corporation)
- Financial Risk and Electronic Business (Vince Hrenak of General Dynamics and Joe Murphy of Ferco Tech Corporation)
Blair French of Boeing provided a summary of the workshops and closing remarks.
In other action, Judy Northup of Vought Aircraft Industries was elected chair of the SMC for 2002, and Vince Hrenak of General Dynamics was selected vice chairman.
Varun Nikore, director of supplier management for AIA, told the group that the association has begun planning its activities for the upcoming Farn-borough Air Show and that suppliers would again be offered an opportunity to participate in a cost-effective package of business activities.
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