Northwest Aerospace News February | March Issue No. 13 | Page 28

A
fter creating an independent
aerospace surface technology
platform in 2013 and acquiring
locations in four states, Valence
established its first foothold in the
Pacific Northwest in 2014 when it
acquired Everett, Washington-based
Blue Streak Finishers. Blue Streak
had been a trusted supplier of metal
finishing services to Boeing and
others in the region since 1981,
providing non-destructive testing,
chemical processing, and painting
for parts up to 30 feet in length. The
40,000-square-foot facility included
a 26-foot downdraft spray booth
and certified 12 and 30-foot curing
ovens.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
In 2016, Valence expanded its
Everett capabilities through a new
state-of-the-art facility designed to
add shot peening for large aero-
structures. This addition combined
automated shot peen capability
with an integrated digital masking
cell, which streamlined processing
of large, geometrically complex
components. More recently, Valence
Everett received Boeing approval for
a new titanium etch surface finishing
line to support continued growth
in its 777X and 737 MAX planes.
This line was designed to process
high quantities of large aerostruc-
ture components, alleviating a prior
constraint in the supply chain.