Northwest Aerospace News PNAA 2021 ADVANCE | Page 89

Deloit R . Wolfe Jr ., President / Center Director

CHAIRWOMAN ’ S AWARD

IMPACT WASHINGTON

Impact Washington opened its doors in 1997 under the name Washington Manufacturing Services . Starting with a small team of three employees , the company is currently home to 15 individuals , including some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated manufacturing specialists and food scientists in Washington . Its name change in 2010 reflected a more accurate alignment
with the focus of the organization – emphasizing its “ impacts ” on both the manufacturing community as a whole , and its individual clients . With a goal to support and energize the local industry by enhancing growth , improving capacity and productivity , reducing costs , and expanding manufacturing capacity , Impact Washington strives to be the leading provider of value-driven solutions for manufacturers in every corner of the state .
Deloit R . Wolfe Jr . became Interim Center Director of Impact Washington in March of 2019 after the devastating loss of its Center Director and longtime NIST MEP employee , Tab Wilkins . Mr . Wolfe immediately continued the work and mission of Impact Washington , assuming the President / Center Director position permanently in August of 2019 . As a seasoned professional with more than 30 years of managerial experience , he holds an MBA in Business Management , and a BA in Communication , Business Management from University of Montana , and has been part the organization since 2013 . He is responsible for the strategic direction , vision , growth , and performance of the Center , and is known for driving growth , maximizing operational excellence , and delivering financial performance .
With regional offices throughout the state , and headquartered in Bothell , Impact Washington ’ s dynamic team represents over 225 years of experience . Since 1997 , they have created or retained more than 15,000 jobs , delivering impactful results to more than 1,500 Washington State manufacturers . As Washington ’ s official representative with the National Institute of Standards and Technology ' s Manufacturing Extension Program ( NIST MEP ), Impact Washington leverages a broad network of resources to connect small-to-mid sized manufacturers with solutions that advance the industry .
By creating jobs and improving manufacturing practices , Impact Washington contributes to economic growth at all levels . Since its inception , Impact Washington ’ s clients have reported $ 1.6 billion in increased and retained sales and $ 312 million in process improvement savings directly attributed to their work with Impact Washington .
With the onset of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic , most of Impact Washington ’ s focus shifted to assisting Washington manufacturers to restart and rebuild . They were one of the first companies to provide a unique information portal for COVID-19 resources . And as part of its Restart Program , Impact Washington offered every manufacturer a no-cost Preventative and Preparedness Assessment to comply with Washington ’ s Safe Start Plan . In July it launched the Rebuild Program that offered manufacturers access to CARES Act funds through a Recovery Assessment to identify recovery projects . Early on , Impact Washington worked closely with manufacturers when Washington ’ s governor asked its industry to pivot and provide much-needed Personal Protective Equipment during the early stages of the pandemic .
PNAA ’ s Chairwoman , Nikki Malcolm applauds the work of Impact Washington saying , “ It ’ s all in the name . The IMPACT that they are having in the industry to support companies to pivot during the pandemic and use the time to become more competitive , productive , and profitable will have a lasting effect on aerospace for years to come .”
PNAA ’ s Chairwoman ’ s Award is presented to an individual , company or organization in recognition of their contribution to raising the industry standard of the Aerospace Industry in the Pacific Northwest .
PNAA ADVANCE / 2021
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2021 ISSUE NO . 19 89