Northwest Aerospace News August | September Issue No. 4 | Page 23

B
ut Aerocet’s roots are far
from where it resides now, both
physically and product-wise.
The company started off building
stand-off weapons systems for
the U.S. Navy — cruise mis-
siles which are launched a safe
distance away from the target
— partnering with Boeing back
in 1987. It ultimately borrowed
part of its name from the French
Exocet missile system, a ship-
launched weapons system. But as
nice as it was working on guaran-
teed government projects, the red
tape drove Hamilton nuts.
“We got through our contract
on time, on budget, which is
bizarre,” Hamilton, company
president, said with a hint of
sarcasm. “We got all kinds of
awards for doing it.”
However, “The bureaucracy was
over the top,” Hamilton said; he
decided it was no longer worth
the headaches.
A case in point came when his
company had checked all the
boxes and it was time to get paid.
The $200,000 he was owed was
held up in the bureaucracy, Ham-
ilton said. He attended a meeting
and let people know he was
ready to issue pink slips to let all
of his 30 employees go. He told
those in the room, “You’ve got a
problem,” to which the response
was, “Well, go ahead?” someone
asked.
Hamilton’s quick reply: “I’ve got
the missiles and you don’t.” He
left with payment in hand, and a
new business direction.
AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE NO. 4
23