Suppliers' Voice
February 2001
Volume 2, No. 1

Index Associate Membership Quadruples in 2000 SMC — The Voice of Suppliers TWA Expands Titanium and E-Commerce Gold Medal to BTC SDB Port Electronics Joins Association Avnet Features Capability, Service Advanced Products Introduces New Sealing Systems Business Unit Tough Tube Bending Works at PTB Stevens Named VP Sun Shines on Sunshine Metals SMC Adds Ram Manufacturing Supplier Management Council

Associate Membership Quadruples in 2000

AIA has become the preferred association for preferred suppliers. Eighty-three companies, identified as top suppliers and recommended by the industry's leading prime and major subcontractors, joined AIA in 2000 as associate members of the Supplier Management Council (SMC).

There are currently 168 members of the SMC — 61 full AIA members and 107 associate member companies.

For information about becoming a member of this small and elite group of companies, contact J.P. Stevens at 202-371-8514.

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Benefits of Supplier Management Council (SMC) membership give suppliers what others can only hope for in Washington:

• Access to association strategists, access to industry leaders, including prime contractor executives, and access to Washington policymakers, lawmakers, and decisionmakers.
• "Supersizing" your limited staff resources through AIA staff and facilities.

Suppliers are most vulnerable today to failure in achieving their business objectives because of the current aerospace industry environment. Downsizing of the supply base, onerous customer flowdown clauses, uncertain and confusing electronic business requirements, lack of access to R&D funding, and lost work due to off-set obligations are just a few of the issues.

Your voice needs to be heard at the highest levels of industry and government to ensure the growth and viability of the aerospace supply base. Three major items on the calendar in 2001 are aimed at achieving this recognition.

First, at its spring meeting in San Diego March 28-30, the SMC will develop supplier issues and recommendations by commodity groups for consideration by the Presidential Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry.

Second, the July SMC meeting in Washington, D.C., will set in motion an AIA Board of Governors' initiative for its members and other CEOs to meet and discuss industry issues in small groups with associate members.

Third, the stage was set at the November 2000 SMC meeting for action in 2001. Three high-priority issues were identified, two on AIA's list of 2001 Top Ten Issues:

• Continue Reform of Government/Industry Business Practices. For the SMC, this means a flow down of the principles of acquisition reform in subcontracts.
• Facilitate an Integrated E-Business Environment among Suppliers, Customers, and Business Partners. The goal here is consistency and standardization across industry with electronic business and commerce interfaces.

The third issue is finding an industry solution to attract and retain technical talent for the aerospace supply base, a high AIA priority to be addressed by the presidential commission.

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Trans World Alloys (TWA) says it has obtained a large shipment of 6AL4V titanium plate from its industry partner Baoji Titanium Industries.

The company has had exclusive North American distribution rights for 6AL4V sheet for several years. After a series of negotiations, quality inspections, and other efforts, "we feel confident in the prospect of being able to develop and maintain a strong presence in the titanium plate industry," said TWA Sales Manager Rick Goerke.

An AIA Supplier Management Council member, TWA is among the world leaders in the titanium marketplace, with heavy concentration in the aerospace and defense industries.

In another development, the company is moving into e-commerce. Michael Dome, vice president of e-commerce, said, "We are in the midst of developing a smart site that will handle online requests for quotes, inventory checks, order status reports, and, ultimately, full-order processing."

"We look forward to opening many new doors with this new line of product," noted TWA President Sandy Shadrow.

TWA's facilities are in Los Angeles, Holtsville, N.Y., and Wichita, Kan.

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BTC Electronic Components was recently honored as one of the government's best suppliers at an awards ceremony at the Defense Supply Center in Richmond, Va.

"This recognition is a reflection of the entire company's performance and our commitment to giving customers the best in quality and delivery," stated Chuck Grimm, BTC vice president, quality assurance.

To qualify for an award, the contractor must score between 98 and 100 on all contract lines shipped to the supply center in a 12-month period. BTC scored a perfect 100 to earn the Best Value Gold Medalist Award.

Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., BTC has specialized in commercial and military electronic components and interconnect products for more than 20 years.

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Port Electronics Corporation in Salem, N.H., has joined the AIA Supplier Management Council.

Founded in 1988, Port is a value-added distributor of integrated circuits for military and commercial customers. The minority-owned company is certified by the small business administration.

Port President David Perry said that "AIA offers vital information about our industry's future business standards and practices. I believe being a member of AIA is a statement of a company's ability to perform, and I am proud to be a member."

Integrated Device Technology and Xilinx are Port's strongest product line offerings. The firm's value-added services include testing, tape and reeling, marking, locating hard-to-find obsolete material, and a very unique procurement service program.

The company's major customer base includes Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, and The Boeing Company.

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To support aerospace manufacturers, subcontractors, and related businesses, Avnet Electronics Marketing has established several unique units to focus on government sales, interconnect, military semiconductor, and aircraft/airline support.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Avnet has supported global commercial, military, aerospace, and defense market segments for more than 45 years.

Products and services range from VME box builds, to coaxial cables and connectors for RF and microwave satellite applications, value-added MIL-spec QPL connectors, aircraft relays, custom ASIC design, IC upscreening, and EOL replacement MIL-semiconductors.

Avnet's acquisition strategy, growth, and global marketing produced record revenue of $9.17 billion in 2000.

With the only distribution operation awarded a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award site audit, the company's logistics benefits include inventorying and kitting, reduced cycle time, full information technology data availability, lower procurement cost, and back-up sourcing.

Avnet offers unique technical capabilities, support services, and a commitment to excellence.

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The Advanced Products Company, an AIA Supplier Management Council member, recently put into operation its new Sealing Systems Business unit offering complete sealing systems processes from concept to design and development, qualification, and production.

Located in North Haven, Conn., and Boom, Belgium, Advanced Products designs and manufactures high performance seals for jet and rocket engines. Services include project management, engineering, production, assembly, and test.

Advanced Products specializes in the analysis, design, and manufacture of seals for a range of industries, including aerospace, sub seal, oil and gas, and semi-conductor fabrication equipment.

A unique aspect of Advanced Products is the commitment of a project manager to each customer order and access to the company's engineering staff. The project manager coordinates all functional teams, including engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, and quality control.

Advanced Products has a reputation for innovative designs, high-quality products, and responsive support. It has been producing customized solutions for unique extreme environments for more than 50 years.

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It's not just the easy tube bending and fabricating jobs that Precision Tube Bending (PTB) handles.

The SMC member company often gets requests to bend and fabricate a tube on which other shops have passed. Tight tolerances and back-to-back radiuses with a lack of a holding space are PTB specialties.

Located in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., PTB has specialized in high quality, 1/32-inch to 10-inch tube diameter bending and fabrication with manufacturing design support since 1957.

Today's exotic aerospace materials, coupled with thin wall requirements, present new challenges. As the diameter of tubes increase, so do the complexities of the bending requirements. PTB routinely bends thin wall tangent to tangent as well as multiple and one diameter bends in all materials.

The company is located in a modern 60,000-square-foot facility with state-of-the-art production equipment, including CNC bending with laser vision inspection and the latest in vacuum vapor degreasing equipment.

PTB's fully integrated computer network tracks orders from receipt to shipment, and its quality assurance programs exceed aviation industry requirements, including MIL-I 45208, ISO 9001, and AS 9000.

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J.P. Stevens has been promoted to vice president for special projects.

He had been AIA's assistant vice president, supplier management.

Stevens will be staff representative for the Aerospace Services Council (ASC) Steering Group, implementing a new council dedicated to addressing service-related concerns of AIA member companies.

The council will be responsible for issues affecting strategic industry initiatives, including regulatory issues, depot maintenance, and strategic planning. The ASC is expected to be operational in May.

Stevens will continue responsibilities with the SMC.

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Business is brighter at Sunshine Metals in Wichita, Kan.

The AIA Supplier Management Council member recently underwent a rigorous audit and achieved both the ISO 9002 and AS 9000 certifications.

The two-day audit resulted in a finding of no non-conformances of Sunshine's system, indicating an effective quality management system under the direction of Don Doze, manager of quality assurance.

The company is a worldwide distributor of aerospace metals with additional facilities in Los Angeles and Beijing.

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Ram Manufacturing Company, a custom-design manufacturer of solenoids and valves for aerospace and other applications, is a new member of the SMC.

Founded in 1975, Ram customers include AIA members The Boeing Company, Honeywell, MOOG Inc., Parker Hannifin Corporation, and United Technologies.

Ram's more than 900 existing designs, many in military and commercial aircraft applications, make it a proven force in the solenoid-valve market.

Located in St. George, Utah, Ram maintains a state-of-the-art facility and a well-trained workforce capable of meeting every need in the design, manufacture, and test of solenoid and valve components.

Ram prides itself on complete customer satisfaction and provides quality products on time. Most processing is done in house, enabling Ram to control costs and lead time.

Many lean manufacturing principles are used to cut time from design concept to shipment. Web site: www.ramcompany.com

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AAI Corporation
AAR CORP.*
Adaptive Consulting, Inc.*
The Advanced Products Company*
Advanced Technical Products, Inc.*
Aeroquip Corporation*
Engineered Systems Division
Jackson Hose Plant
Jackson Coupling Plant
Toccoa Plant
Aerospace Sales Industries, Inc.*
The Aerostructures Corporation
Air Industries Machining Corporation*
Air Methods Corporation*
Alcoa Industrial Components
Allen Aircraft Products, Inc.*
Alliant Techsystems Inc.
Ambel Precision Manufacturing Corp.*
American Pacific Corporation
AMI Metals, Inc.*
Analytical Graphics, Inc.
Arkwin Industries, Inc.*
Argo-Tech Corporation
Aviall, Inc.
Avionics Specialties, Inc.*
Avnet Electronics Marketing*
B.H. Aircraft Company, Inc.
Babcock, Inc.*
BAE SYSTEMS North America Inc.
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation
Barnes Aerospace
Berkshire Industries, Inc.*
The BFGoodrich Company
Aerostructures
Landing Systems
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul
Sensors and Integrated Systems
Bill-Jay Machine Tool Corporation*
The Boeing Company
Brek Manufacturing Company*
BTC Electronic Components, Inc.*
California Screw Products*
CEF Industries, Inc.*
Charles E. Gillman Company*
Cherokee Nation Distributors*
CII Technologies, Inc.*
Hartman
Kilovac
CII
Circle Seal Controls, Inc.*
Cohesia Corporation*
Compass Aerospace Corporation*
Corry Manufacturing Company*
CPI Aerostructures, Inc.*
Crane Co., Lear Romec*
Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems, Inc.
Metal Improvement Company
Davis Tool, Inc.
Delco Machine & Gear*
The Deutsch Company*
Dixie Aerospace*
Dowty Aerospace
Los Angeles
Yakima
DRS Technologies, Inc.
Ducommun Incorporated
DuPont Company
DynaBil Industries, Inc.*
DynaCom Industries Inc.*
Dynamic Gunver Technologies, LLC*
EDO Marine & Aircraft Systems*
EFW, Inc.*
Ellanef Manufacturing Corporation*
EMS Technologies, Inc.*
Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co.*
Esterline Technologies
Faber Enterprises, Inc.*
F.A.G. Bearings Limited*
Fairchild Dornier Corporation
Fairchild Fasteners
Fansteel Inc.*
Fansteel/Wellman Dynamics
Fansteel/California Drop Forge
The Ferco Group*
Ferco Tech Corporation
L&E Engineering Company
Ferguson Perforating*
Final Analysis, Inc.
Firth Rixson Viking*
Flexfab*
GenCorp
General Dynamics Corporation
General Electric Company
General Mechatronics Corporation*
General Tool Company, Inc.*
Genuity Solutions Inc.
GKN Aerospace Inc.
Greene, Tweed & Company*
Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc.
Group Technologies Corporation*
G.S. Precision, Inc.*
H&B Tool & Engineering Company, Inc.*
Harris Corporation
Hartwell Corporation*
HEICO Corporation
Hexcel Corporation
Hitchcock Industries, Inc.*
Honeywell Inc.
Hughes Electronics Corporation
Hughes Space and Communications
Industrial Precision, Inc.*
ITT Industries
Defense and Electronics
Kaman Aerospace Corporation
Kistler Aerospace Corporation
KomTeK*
Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc.*
Lefiell Manufacturing Company*
Litton Industries, Inc.
LMI Aerospace, Inc.*
Leonard's Metal, Inc.
LMI Finishing, Inc.
Precise Machine Company
Lockheed Martin Corporation
M/A-COM, Inc.*
Magnetico, Inc.*
Manzi Metals, Inc.*
Marotta Scientific Controls, Inc.*
Martin-Baker America Inc.
MD Helicopters, Inc.
Meyer Tool Inc.*
The Mexmil Company*
MIL-I Precision, LLC*
MOOG Inc.
Morris Machine Company, Inc.*
MPC Products Corporation*
New Hampshire Ball Bearings, Inc.*
HiTech Division
Astro Division
Precision Bearing Division
The Nordam Group
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Omega Air, Inc.
Pacific Scientific, Electro Kinetics*
Park Engineering & Mfg. Co., Inc.*
Parker Hannifin Corporation
PerkinElmer Fluid Sciences*
Port Electronics Corporation*
Precision Machine & Manufacturing Co.*
Precision Tube Bending*
The Prince & Izant Company*
Pro Fab, Inc.*
The Purdy Corporation*
QualPro Corporation*
DJ Industries
Nelson Aerospace Inc.
Stratoflight Engineering
Quick-Wright Associates, Inc.*
Radant Technologies, Inc.*
RAM Manufacturing Company, Inc.*
Rayon Yarn Corporation*
Raytheon Company
Remmele Engineering Inc.*
Robinson Helicopter Company, Inc.
Rockwell Collins, Inc.
Rolls-Royce North America Inc.
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation*
Sechan Electronics, Inc.*
Servotronics, Inc.*
Space Access, LLC
Sparton Corporation*
Spectra Lux Corporation*
Spectrum Astro, Inc.
STADCO*
Stein Seal Company*
Bessinger and Stein
Stellex Aerostructures, Inc.
Stewart Manufacturing, Inc.*
Summa Technology, Inc.*
Sunshine Metals*
SV Microwave, Inc.*
Swales Aerospace
Teleflex, Inc./TFX Sermatech
Mal Tool & Engineering
Textron Inc.
Therm, Inc.*
Thermal Solutions, Inc.*
American Avionic Technologies Corp.
Brazonics, Inc.
Performance Metal Fabricators, Inc.
Trans World Alloys Company*
Transtar Metals, Inc.*
Triumph Controls, Inc.
TRW Inc.
Trylon Machine Company*
United Defense
United Tool & Die Company*
United Technologies Corporation
Pratt & Whitney
Sikorsky
Hamilton Sundstrand
Uni-Tek, LLC*
Valco Manufacturing Company, Inc.*
Valley Manufacturing Corporation*
Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc.
Welding Metallurgy, Inc.*
Western Data Systems*
Woodward Governor Company
WPI*
Burton Electrical Engineering
Cable Systems
Viking Electronics

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