Northwest Aerospace News PNAA 2021 ADVANCE | Page 81

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS !

BRIAN CANFIELD & REFLECTIONS BY MELANIE JORDAN , EMERITUS E . D .
Our history with the Pacific Northwest Supply Chain began in 2001 , welcoming both the 21st Century and the Sonic Cruiser . The new millennium had begun on a positive note . Then a series of jolts shook the aerospace industry . First , the 6.8 Nisqually Earthquake in February damaged Boeing Field , stopping delivery flights and interrupting aerospace manufacturing . Then , another shift occurred in March , when Boeing announced its International Headquarters would be relocating out of Seattle in August . By the end of September , now in the midst the aftermath of the 9 / 11 attacks , the region was reeling . The landscape of aerospace manufacturing was changing rapidly .
During this period , the founders of Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance ( originally two separate organizations , one in Oregon and one in Washington ) watched production rates decline and employment fall , and took on the calling to support the industry . Each had the mission of “ promoting the growth and success of the aerospace industry ” and soon they were working together , partnering for the first Aerospace Conference in 2001 and eventually merging in 2002 to become the PNAA of today .
Our goals then , as they are now , seek to enhance our member ’ s global competitiveness by connecting aerospace interests through a series of events including conferences , symposiums , executive roundtables , business-to-business meetings , peer-to-peer networking and other activities .
PNAA ADVANCE / 2021
The year 2004 was memorable with the announcement of the new and innovative aircraft , B787 Dreamliner . With no legacy constraints for production and an unconventional method of building aircraft , the B787 would be assembled in Everett from subassemblies arriving just in time from global risk-sharing suppliers . As manufacturers adapted to these new manufacturing practices , PNAA was there to serve as a resource . Over the next seven years ( 2004-2011 ), PNAA helped its members navigate this paradigm shift in manufacturing by delivering a series of educational and informative programs featuring industry experts , aerospace professionals , airframe & engine OEMs and key Tier 1-3 suppliers , delivering the latest information they needed to be competitive . During this time , as an organization , PNAA began investing in its resources , adding paid staff and building the foundation of the organization it is today . PNAA had become a valued resource in the industry and a trusted partner in the aerospace manufacturing community .
These investments paid off . As production rates climbed between 2013 to 2018 with the launch of derivative aircraft ( B737 MAX / B777X ), the supply chain had plenty of work , but was in danger of becoming stressed under traditional processes . To meet the additional ramp-up and cost-down expectations , a move toward transformative technologies was needed . Additive Manufacturing , Autonomous Robotics , Industry 4.0 and other innovations entered into the vocabulary of aerospace manufacturers . Suppliers
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2021 ISSUE NO . 19 81