“ We control the whole chain of manufacturing events ; we are not dealing with a lot of suppliers that would affect due dates ,” Stevenson said . He added , “ We can better control the supply chain and end product .”
Offering so much from design and engineering through the end product means that they can employ more people . They currently have 250,000 square feet , with room to expand . Trese said that while they had some attrition due to the 737 MAX issues , and the pandemic , he said they are actively hiring . He expects to be up to pre-pandemic levels with the engineering department , ( 40-50 employees in that department ) in a few years .
Trese said that the 777X interiors project makes him the proudest of their team . He also sees new areas of business soon .
“ I see us diversifying from our strength , still managing aircraft interiors , but also getting into primary structures for aircraft .
ai163854766823 _ CGTech-JAN-Northwest Aero-PRINT . pdf 1 12 / 3 / 2021 8:07:50 AM
We do components for wings . We are also focused on the defense business .”
Trese said that the company is nimble and can react quickly to their customer needs . He added that he sees adding engineering services and creativity to the drone market in the future as well .
One thing is for sure , with a strong company culture , the company should continue to grow . While “ Good to Great ” gave them solid principles to lean on , it is possible Astronics PECO already had the secret sauce and is willing to continue to improve . Stevenson concluded that the company is , “ small enough to give employees exposure — large enough to give customers and employees stability and opportunities .”
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APRIL | MAY 2021 ISSUE NO . 26 15