TO
BOLDLY GO . . .
By Brian Canfield ; CEO and executive director of Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance
We are in an interesting inflection point in the aerospace manufacturing industry in the Pacific Northwest . This place is where the challenges of situation meet systemic , placing many companies in a position where they are pondering the question , “ Which road is the right road to recovery ?”
As we march on to the undiscovered country of aerospace recovery , some aerospace suppliers will face challenges that have placed them in a less desirable condition . The good news is , there are many things companies can do to improve their situation and to help posture themselves in a strategic position for when the aerospace pendulum comes roaring back .
Brian Canfield
Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance CEO and Executive Director
www . pnaa . net
PNAA SPOTLIGHT
One thing we see in aerospace is that it is highly risk-adverse and conservative . This makes sense when it comes to safety and some aspects of program development . However , in the current climate , adopting this philosophy to business may pose challenges . Although leaning out production and reducing costs may help and be essential in some cases , this strategy alone will only provide so much help . As we have been in a positive super-cycle for over a decade now , the current state has been shocking for several reasons — one being how deeply the decrease in production has impacted companies . Another factor is the uncertainty around how long this will last and the challenges with forecasting , resulting in challenges for planning other aspects of business .
52 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS