This year’s ACM Workforce Opportunity Fair & Trade Show at the Connecticut Convention Center was a great success!  Eighty-eight member firms, six local colleges and over 600 students gathered to promote and explore careers in the aerospace industry.  Aero Gear’s team was excited to have the opportunity to speak with local high school and middle school students about careers in manufacturing and to help break through stereotypes of the past and introduce them to modern manufacturing. 

In addition to fostering the skilled workforce of tomorrow, the tradeshow’s afternoon events encouraged networking and strengthening the manufacturing supply chain here in Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts, also known as The World’s Aerospace Alley!®.  Visitors to the show, including prime contractors Airbus, Boeing, GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky and UTAS, were able to see the broad capabilities that this unique group has to offer. 

This year’s show featured addresses from ACM’s Executive Director, Paul Murphy and President, Pedro Soto, CT Dept of Economic & Community Development Commissioner, Catherine Smith and a spotlight presentation by Airbus’s Head of Strategic Sourcing Support, Guiseppe Marcheschi and Sourcing Manager Quentin Mounes, on the current industry outlook and business projections.

Aero Gear was proud to participate in this wonderful event and are looking forward to next year!

Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith joined over 50 VIP guests for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration on June 12^th at Aero Gear in Windsor. Aero Gear founder Doug Rose welcomed suppliers, local leaders and customers to tour the facility’s new 24,000 sq ft addition and get an exclusive  behind-the-scenes look at the intricate process of manufacturing precision gearboxes for jet engines.

Smith recognized the commitment to the state that Aero Gear has demonstrated for the last 35+ years since its inception in 1982. She has worked in conjunction with Rose since 2011 to continually raise the standard of productivity and business in Connecticut.

“I am so excited to see Doug’s hard work pay off and celebrate the effort he has taken up to stay in this great state,” said Smith. “With all the other great industry leaders here, Connecticut has proven itself to be one of the pioneers in innovation and success for the aerospace industry.”

Rose explained the expansion was necessary to meet the growing demand for new commercial and military defense planes around the world. The gearboxes that Aero Gear produces and perfects on a daily basis are used by aircraft manufacturers Avio Aero, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Boeing, General Electric and Rolls Royce and UTAS. The expansion provides the company with approximately 100,000 total square feet to accommodate their 175 employees, a new lobby, conference room, offices, and manufacturing space for several new programs.

“We’ve come a long way from the small company we once were,” said Rose at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “Our growth would not be possible without the support of so many parties in the state, and most importantly our great employees. We are motivated and ready to take on the new challenges that this expansion will allow.”

Founded in 1982 by Doug Rose, Aero Gear in Windsor, CT has become a recognized global leader in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of gears and gearboxes for the aerospace industry. They specialize in fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Aero Gear has grown steadily over the decades, providing expertise and manufacturing innovation to clients such as Avio Aero, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Boeing, General Electric and Rolls Royce and UTAS. For more information visit https://www.aerogear.com or call (860) 688-0888.

Read more about the expansion:

American Journal of Transportation Online-Aero Gear soars into a new stratosphere of success

Hartford Business Journal Online – Aero Gear adds 24K sq. ft. in Windsor        

Trade and Industry Development – Aero Gear to Expand 175-Job Windsor, CT, Facility for Jet Engine Demand

AviationPROS.com – Aero Gear Soars into a New Stratosphere of Success

AMU Magazine – AERO GEAR Soars Into A New Stratosphere Of Success

Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation  -Aero Gear Unveils 24,000-Sq-Ft Expansion Of Windsor Facility

Manufacturing Engineering Online – Aero Gear Completes Manufacturing Facility Expansion

Aerospace Manufacturing & Design – Aero Gear expands in Windsor, Connecticut 

Heat Retreat Today -Aircraft Gearbox Manufacturer Expansion Includes Heat Treatment

CT By the Numbers- international Airshow

News-Times Online – Doug Rose, Founder of Aero Gear, Answers A Few Questions

CTNOW – Windsor’s Aero Gear Expands, Adds New Hires

Hartford Courant – Windsor’s Aero Gear Expands, Adds New Hires

Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operation – Aero Gear Unveils Expanded Manufacturing Facility

At Aero Gear lean Manufacturing is our processing method which requires continual cross-training and updating the skills of our people who staff our equipment. Through skill matrices of the operators, tied directly to our capacity planning system, we can identify the capabilities in each cell and help with our internal cross-training efforts. It is not only important to measure equipment capacity but also manpower capability which effects the machine utilization.

There are multiple ways we provide training internally. We invest in our employee training through blending our highly skilled people with those who are less experienced. We also provide learning opportunities through seminars or tuition reimbursement programs. Through the sharing of knowledge and experience, along with the dedication of our people to learning and improvement, ensures that Aero Gear will exceed the expectations of our customers. Without these well trained capable people, our latest equipment, and cutting-edge technology would be underutilized, and we would fall short of our customer’s expectations.

Aero Gear prefers to promote from within, thus we have had several technicians starting at an entry-level position who have come from our affiliation with local technical high schools and community college manufacturing education programs. They continue to progress and complete the cross-training matrices as technicians at Aero Gear (see figure 1)  and have been promoted to key positions in critical areas of Quality Assurance and Manufacture Engineering. This training process ensures our commitment to excellence at all levels of the company.

Not only does cross-training and the transfer of knowledge improve the workforce of Aero Gear, and therefore our production, it also creates better career paths for our employees. Employee development is important, and we make sure to insist on excellence internally for that very purpose.

Our people’s capabilities are the result of years of investment in education to maximize utilization of the latest technologies. Continued investment in the development of new and experienced people drives the excellence Aero Gear insists on. Their dedication to being well-trained technicians keeps Aero Gear on the leading edge of our industry.

Aero Gear is excited to announce the expansion of our facility!  We are growing and need to equip our company for the coming years. Our new addition of approximately 24,000 square feet will provide a brand new lobby, conference room, offices, and manufacturing space for several new programs. The addition is progressing in leaps and bounds to meet the projected end date of the first week in January 2018.

In trying to meet the increased demand of our customers, it became obvious that additional people and machines were necessary, and the only way to do this was through expanding our facility. Our Flow Line concept is based on providing the best quality, shortest lead time and reasonable cost by eliminating waste in the process. Only with new people and machines are we able to manufacture gears in an efficient process to meet increase in demand. Aerospace gearboxes are the “brawn” of the aircraft power system and require the highest quality precision engineering and manufacturing. At Aero Gear we have repeatedly proven ourselves as a leading manufacturer of complex gearbox assemblies for the global aerospace market.

The influx of new products means more employees are needed to fill the growth of the company. As we expand in employees, the office space increases. In order to provide them with an excellent work space, new offices will be a part of the expansion.

The expansion demonstrates that we are committed to the long-haul. It shows our desire for excellence both internally and externally. Each component added to the company – whether it’s a staff member, or a new space –  is vital to who we are. We expanding to fulfill our tagline . . . Insist on Excellence!

The Paris Air Show is undoubtedly one of the most exciting events for us here at Aero Gear.  Walking away from this year’s event, we feel excited and energized about our prospects in the dynamic and high-tech aerospace industry.

The week-long show held many exciting events such as meeting with existing and potential customers, suppliers and viewing the aircraft that we help build. Most exciting of all was watching the flight demonstrations as the state-of-the-art aircraft performed jaw-dropping aerial maneuvers for thousands upon thousands of spectators.  It is an absolute thrill to watch aircraft that rely on precision engineered parts by Aero Gear, perform so eloquently in the air.

While working in Connecticut, it’s easy to get lost in our devoted attention to the details of the day and forget the greater impact of what we do. Through the Paris Air Show, we are reminded of the global aerospace industry and the importance of our purpose in manufacturing with excellence. Aero Gear sent two representatives to this year’s show, our Director of Sales & Marketing Lee Welch and our Sales Manager Richard Haydaz. The show provided new leads and insights into the future of our industry. It also allowed us to make several new contacts that will be key for growing our business in the future.

We are a company of today and a company of the future. We focus on each day, excelling in everything we do, yet never losing sight of the future. There are many great opportunities to come and we work towards mastering them in all due diligence.

We hope to see you at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018!

Aero Gear was recently awarded the recognition of “Gold Supplier” from our longtime supplier, LockHeed Martin Sikorsky Aircraft.  This is the second year in a row that LockHeed Martin Sikorsky Aircraft has chosen Aero Gear for such a prominent award.  Gaining the “Gold Supplier” status showcases our commitment to continued excellence through our consistency, reliability, and our resourcefulness when it comes to engineering aerospace solutions for our customers.  The results speak for themselves when it comes to our people, who are highly trained and work together as a team.  It all starts with each and every employees’ dedication to Aero Gear’s mission statement:

To engineer and Manufacture the World’s Finest Aerospace Gears and Gearbox Assemblies

Lockheed Martin Sikorsky is not the only client to recognize our superior product development and support service.  Amongst others, UTC has awarded Aero Gear the rank of Gold Supplier as well.  Aero Gear will continue to work hard to maintain this prestigious status from our highly valued supplier of LockHeed Martin Sikorsky Aircraft.

It is hard to believe that we just wrapped up another week at the Farnborough Air Show! As usual, the show was filled with new technologies, impressive aircrafts, and most importantly, new business opportunities. Each year we reap networking opportunities with existing and potential new customers – giving us the opportunity to meet the decision-makers, shake hands, put faces with names and pursue our strategy goal to supply product on the major aerospace programs.

A major part of our strategy when attending an air show is the team we choose to represent Aero Gear.  This year our team was comprised of Lee Welch, Director of Sales & Marketing, Richard Haydasz, Sales Manager, and Steve Holhubner, Engineering Manager.  While our sales team has attended all of the major shows in the past, this was the first time we decided to bring along an engineer.  New technologies are rapidly changing in the industry and it is essential for our customers and potential customers we have the latest technological capabilities.  Our engineering team is the core of Aero Gear. Without these well trained capable people, our latest equipment and cutting edge technology would be underutilized in our efforts to meet our customer needs.

While we always want to expose customers to our core capabilities, complex carburized/harden ground gears, this year our focus was on promoting our capabilities as a manufacturer, integrator, assembler and test of the several accessory gearboxes we produce.

Due to the increase of new engine programs we have recognized that there is limited capability in many areas of gearbox assembly production. We see the need to emphasize to our existing and potential customers our capabilities and open capacity in the assembly area. We see the need and we are offering a solution.

From a professional development standpoint, bringing an Engineer to the show was a no-brainer.   When our staff comes to work every day in Windsor, CT – it can be very easy for them to forget that we participate in a massive global industry.  Attending a show on this scale puts things back in perspective.  We also wanted him to experience firsthand what the Aero Gear sales team does on a regular basis. He was able to interact with prospective customers and understand what technologies and expertise they are looking for.

After a long week of hard work meeting the customers, suppliers, competitors and other industry participants, we were glad to make our way back to Connecticut.  However, there was great satisfaction knowing that the Farnborough Air Show provided us with new leads and new insights in to the future of our industry.  We have returned excited and energized about Aero Gear’s prospects in the dynamic and high tech aerospace industry.