The post Who’s Hiring Guide | OCT—NOV 2022 appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

Her professional background is vastly unique and yet entirely relevant to the aviation industry, making her an invaluable asset to the greater aerospace community. Before working in the aviation industry, Tommy worked for a small jewelry company called Ajmer by Jodi, where she spent part of her time seeking out gems at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. From there, she moved on to a larger jewelry firm and managed a retail location, building her experience in customer relations and expertise in the market. Later, Tommy joined The Boeing Company as a supply chain analyst, supporting the Fleet Care Program for Boeing Global Services. She fostered her experience in customer relations and the aerospace world, managing commercial derivative procurements for both the KC-46 and VC-25B. Since 2019, Tommy has served as the government affairs director for Tax & Fiscal Policy and Manufacturing for the Association of Washington Business. At AWB, she’s leading the way in doubling the number of manufacturers in the state of Washington. 

Tommy’s passion for aviation is evident in her everyday life and is rather contagious. She has encountered so many influential individuals in the aerospace industry who have inspired her and championed her journey, and now she’s doing the same for future up-and-coming leaders. In her spare time, Tommy volunteers as a docent at the Museum of Flight in Tukwila, where she connects with visitors, shares her passion for aerospace, gives a voice to history, and inspires the next generation of aerospace leaders. Her dedication doesn’t end there, though. Tommy shares her voice with several organizations throughout the Puget Sound area, representing and advocating for growth and stability in the aerospace industry’s footprint in the Pacific Northwest.  She’s a member of the Museum of Flight’s Speaker’s Bureau, Museum of Flight King County Airport Authority Board, and serves as the chair of the business development committee for the Aerospace Futures Alliance, the Department of Revenue’s Business Advisory Council, and the Seattle Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Tommy’s message to those seeking their place in the industry is, if you have a passion for the industry, there is a place for you, and you belong. 

Tommy Gantz  

Government Affairs Director, Tax & Fiscal Policy, Manufacturing AWB 

PO Box 658, Olympia, WA 98507-0658

 360.943.1600 / m 360.870.2915

The post If you have passion you have a place appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

“We have a rich history of innovation in this region when it comes to aerospace manufacturing, and for over 21 years PNAA has been connecting and collaborating with the global aerospace industry through our events,” said Nikki Malcom, CEO and executive director of PNAA. “This has allowed us to build a network of members and partners that can come together to tackle the tough challenges we are facing and create new opportunities for innovation and growth for this region.”

Through the Innovation Cluster Development Program (ICAP —www.ICAPWashingtonState.com), Washington Commerce helps promising industry sectors assemble the ingredients they need to grow and “that build trust and develop a collaborative culture of ‘co-opetition,’” said Stephanie Scott, the department’s director. “We’re bringing together competitors and industry ecosystem partners to work together to solve industry-level challenges, accelerate innovation, and capture global market opportunities.” 

The Governor’s Sector Lead and Director of Aerospace in the Washington State Department of Commerce, Robin Toth, said, “PNAA was one of the first industry associations to embrace the idea of positioning Washington’s century of aviation history, technological expertise and global excellence in workforce development as the world’s leading aerospace cluster.”  She added, “Creating the right environment that develops complementary partnerships in alignment with current and future goals will ensure that the next generation of Washington aerospace workers will lead the world in the development of new and sustainable technologies to make flight cleaner, faster and safer.”

The Mission of Innovation

In the initial stages of bringing together the cluster program, Dale King, PNAA cluster director, reached out to interested parties from throughout the aerospace industry in order to identify top priorities. This included professionals from corporations, entrepreneurs, finance, academia, workforce organizations, government and non-profits. From these conversations five focus areas emerged, including: workforce alignment, supply chain, environmental sustainability, marketing, and Industry 4.0. The priorities were not limited to these, as there is interest in connecting rural, urban and ethnic communities throughout the entire state of Washington.

Working as a PNAA committee, the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Cluster (PNAC) is organized to address the industry chosen priorities.

Workforce Alignment. “We heard, loud and clear, the message from aerospace manufacturers: from the shop floor to engineering, there is a shortage of both new and seasoned workforce,” said Dale King. “Aerospace manufacturers are asking for solutions that will help them find, compete for, upskill, and retain workers.” Notable challenges include competing for talent with fast-growing industry sectors, an increasing need for skills that can support Industry 4.0 objectives (more on this, below) and the strain that sudden and unexpected fluctuations in staffing needs can place on companies and their employees. 

Supply Chain. The aerospace industry in the Pacific Northwest is highly interdependent. When you combine the exacting standards of quality in aerospace with the diversity of the components needed, it’s clear that no single company can master it all. This is why innovation in supply chain operations, communications, and transactions can make a big difference in aerospace. “A lot of people think innovation is just about the next technology,” said Peter Schuerman, PNAA’s cluster program manager, “but while innovation can happen in the technical sphere, it can also happen in the sphere of business models, and even in the sphere of who we work with and how we communicate with each other.” PNAC will work with stakeholders to discover issues and collaboratively develop a comprehensive set of solutions across all of these spheres. 

Environmental Sustainability. The environmental awareness of Pacific Northwest culture means that in this area, Pacific Northwest aerospace is poised to lead. “Sustainability and targeted carbon emission reduction will undoubtably shape the future of the aerospace industry,” said Lauren Estep, PNAA’s cluster program assistant and researcher. “Sustainable innovation within the aerospace manufacturing sector will drive industry change and support these goals.” 

Marketing. The reputation of aerospace manufacturing in the Pacific Northwest is impressive, having been built over more than 100 years. However, in a world where so many things are competing for our attention, it’s not enough to be good; you have to be good at telling people about it. “Every day, millions of people travel by air. We forget how miraculous that is,” said King. “Aerospace manufacturing in the Pacific Northwest is also something of a miracle, and we don’t do enough to remind the world of that.”

Industry 4.0. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, sometimes referred to as 4IR or Industry 4.0, is about shifting how we do everything in the 21st century, where we are interconnected like never before and have access to smart automation technologies. “There are some interesting possibilities for innovation here, from fostering intrapreneurship in the tradition of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works^©, to building lines of communication with entrepreneurs so their solutions will track with the realities of aerospace manufacturing,” said Schuerman, “and we might make some gains through novel strategic partnerships between companies with complementary tech.” 

Innovation is Key

According to Scott, innovation clusters supporting key Washington industries are a critical pillar of their innovation policy and economic development program moving forward — which makes PNAA’s involvement that much more critical for the future of aerospace manufacturing.  “PNAA’s strong culture of trust-based collaboration with its members is helping PNAC get a head start on establishing its innovation groups — a critical component of cluster development that allows clusters to leverage the collective expertise, knowledge, talent, and resources of your sector to solve challenges and drive innovation,” said Scott, adding, “PNAC is also taking a leading role in establishing relationships with its cluster peers and seeking opportunities for cross-cluster collaboration.”

Robin Toth noted, “The evolution of aerospace — from that first flight on a wooden aircraft to global travel on a wide-body jet, to commercial rocket rides traveling through our amazing solar system — has been extraordinary.  And it wouldn’t have been possible without the more than 1,200 companies that participate in the aerospace supply chain in Washington State.”

An important goal for PNAC is to report the solutions we create not only within the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, but also to other clusters and to the Department of Commerce. This enhances the possibility of solutions being deployed not only through corporate actions and through starting new companies, but also through public-private partnerships. And that’s important for people who are spending time in this process to know — that in a very real sense they will have the opportunity to change the world. 

If you have questions or would like to learn more about how to be a part of collaborative innovation in aerospace manufacturing, you can connect with PNAC at pnac@pnaa.net. 

The post Innovation in Aerospace Manufacturing appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

That was Evergreen State’s clear message at June’s Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany and July’s Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) in the United Kingdom. The Washington State Department of Commerce made a strong showing at both trade shows, showcasing delegations of nine companies with 21 attendees in Hamburg and seventeen companies with 58 delegates in London.   

During these events, Commerce met with key trade partners and companies interested in expanding their operations in Washington, and shared with the world how our aerospace and defense companies benefit from doing business in the state. With more than 130,000 highly-skilled workers in the aerospace sector — many of whom are second or third-generation aircraft builders — Washingtonians are hard at work producing the most advanced aircraft, uncrewed aerial systems, and space exploration vehicles in the world, just as they have been for more than a century.  

Washington’s commitment to the aerospace industry is steadfast, as is our commitment to building an equitable, sustainable future. We know that the only way to reach that shared goal is by fostering a climate of innovation, giving companies the opportunity to create good, family-wage jobs that in turn, enable communities to prosper and grow. The state’s Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program (ICAP) is a vital part of that effort, and it includes two fast-growing, forward-thinking, public-private partnerships in the aerospace sector. 

• The Pacific Northwest Aerospace Cluster (PNAC), led by the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA), is working to maintain and increase the state’s competitiveness in aircraft manufacturing by focusing on technological innovation, sustainable manufacturing, supply chain mapping and resilience, and workforce development. This cluster is a vital part of the state’s efforts to foster the training network that will enable the next generation of workers and tradespeople to thrive in every facet of this industry, from the factory floors to the engineering offices located all across the state.  
• The Sustainable Aviation Technologies and Energies (SATE) cluster, led by the Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA), is making important strides in the research, development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels, electrified aircraft and hydrogen-powered aviation. Their work is helping ensure a sustainable, equitable future by advancing the aviation world’s fight against climate change.

We are also building relationships with international clusters like the EMC2 Competitiveness Cluster and the Pays de la Loire region of France, the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Cluster in the United Kingdom and the ZAL Centre for Applied Aviation Research GmbH in Hamburg, Germany, in order to learn from their successes and supercharge the growth of Washington’s ICAP. By building new bridges with our global partners, we are giving our respective companies new opportunities to collaborate and innovate. We are incredibly inspired by the progress the ICAP program is already making and we look forward to seeing what exciting ideas our industry clusters produce in the coming months and years.  

Washington’s commitment is also reflected in the Department of Commerce, where the business development and trade assistance teams continue to promote the advantages of investing in Washington and working with the companies that are already doing business here. They provide a range of services geared to play to the state’s many strengths, including our entrepreneurial spirit, our talented workforce, and our robust, resilient supply chain.  The Commerce team looks forward to attending several upcoming trade shows, including MRO Europe 2022, the Avalon Air Show 2023, and the Paris Air Show 2023, where we hope to connect with you and your company.

Today, companies in Washington provide parts, components, interiors, avionics systems, and services to every major airline and aircraft manufacturer in the world.  That level of expertise and versatility is the reason Washington has always been on the cutting edge of aerospace and aviation technologies, uncrewed and autonomous systems, and commercial space flight. 

And that’s exactly where we intend to stay.  

If you would like to learn more about opportunities in our state, please reach out to:

James Mumford 

Program Manager 

Business Development

Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness 

Washington State Department of Commerce

james.mumford@commerce.wa.gov

+1 206-584-1523

Amandine Crabtree

Aerospace International Trade Specialist

Small Business Export Assistance

Office of Economic Development & Competitiveness 

Washington State Department of Commerce

amandine.crabtree@commerce.wa.gov

+1 206-485-8541

The post Washington State’s Aerospace Industry Shows the Right Stuff on Global Stage appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

It seems like overnight we’ve found ourselves in a talent “crisis.” The more skilled the talent, the greater the scarcity. This has created a vicious supply and demand game of wage negotiation that positions recruitment and retention as our top business priorities. Each week we play “employee-whack-a-mole,” as our best employees bring us the latest competitor’s letter to seek a counteroffer — and we usually pay it.

Last year, employers scrambled to offer mid-year raises to retain employees at what we thought to be the crest of the Great Resignation. A year later, wages are still rising, talent is scarcer, and employees are still leaving at more than four million resignations per month. The Great Resignation didn’t slow down. 

Despite these challenges, there are some employers who are winning the war for talent — even thriving — by understanding a few things that others are still slow to adopt. 

This Cycle is Different

Many executives say they have “seen this before.” The winners know this is different; today’s employees have different work ethics, attitudes, and priorities. They are motivated differently, care about different things, and — to be honest — hold all the cards. When inflation is up, buying is down, but unemployment is at record lows while job creation is at record highs; savvy companies recognize that the old models fly out the window.  

We Will Never Have Enough Employees

Why? We have had fewer babies starting 25 years ago; retirements accelerated, millions left for the gig economy, and we are just warming up. We haven’t even mentioned shifting the attention of students away from manufacturing. By workforce population alone, this is a permanent problem. We will never have enough workers in our lifetime to fill the gaps to work the same way as in the past. 

A Recession Won’t Fix It

Senior executives tell me they are not concerned about wages. They are certain that a “cooling economy” will fix things. With layoffs from big companies, they know we’ll have enough labor to meet our needs. 

The ones laid off in a cooling economy are not the ones you need. A year ago, the same leaders were certain their needs would be filled as unemployment money ran out. That didn’t work. Those workers were not the skilled labor they were waiting on — just like the ones who might be laid off this time. Your skilled labor is currently working for someone else making premium wages. They won’t be laid off.

It’s Money — and More than Money

Money is flying everywhere. Employers who are not competitive in their base compensation will lose, but money alone is not enough. People will stay if they are not making the most money if the other terms and conditions meet their needs. However, if the base compensation does not cover the increased rent, gas, food, and daycare, workers must find something that will. 

Money ranks number three on the list of why employees leave. Number one is the manager. To the employee, the manager IS the company. If the manager is disrespectful, doesn’t give feedback, or prevents employee growth, employees will leave.  Culture is number two — the pay may be good, but if the culture is bad, it’s not worth it. We’ve had people leave for more money, then call us within a few days to ask for their job back. The grass is not always as green as the money offered.  

Retention Is Your Number One Priority

In sales, we know that it’s easier to keep a customer than to find a new one. The same goes for employees. It retains your investment, maintains your production capacity, and avoids the loss of your primary assets. Besides the vacancy in production, remember that it can take a year or longer to return that position up to full proficiency. On average, turnover costs between .5-2x the average annual salary of an employee. What is the cost to retain them?  

A leader’s greatest strength is self-awareness, while their greatest weakness is denial. Your success lies in recognizing that today’s situation is different, seeing it for what it is, and taking action to retain and recruit the best. 

The post Five Ways Successful Companies Overcome Today’s Employee Shortage appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

Impact Case & Container makes lightweight, resilient cases for transporting aerospace parts. 

By Jennifer Ferrero

Transporting technical aerospace parts requires tender care. The parts can be valued from thousands to millions of dollars and are transported throughout the U.S. and worldwide. For military applications, transport cases are shipped to the desert with high heat and sand exposure. With mission-critical cargo enclosed, ensuring delivery safety is more important than ever.

Impact Case & Container (ICC) of Hayden, Idaho, is ready to make a case for sturdy and reliable aluminum cases. They provide custom cases to aerospace OEMs, space companies, aerospace suppliers, and the U.S. military. In business since 2003, the business is owned and operated by Kevin and Regina Bailey, who purchased it in 2018.

The Bailey’s have been involved with the business since early on. Kevin Bailey had a financial background and worked as a financial planner for 10 years before entering the manufacturing industry. He and Regina have worked together for many years at Impact Case and at a sister business called Heater Craft. As a married couple, working together can bring challenges, but Kevin said, “We’ve worked together since the beginning. It’s what we know.”

Jeff Walter, the owner of SCS Cases in Chicago, is both a partner and customer of Impact Case & Container. He said they’ve been working with the company for 12 years. “Impact is the only supplier we use for fabricated aluminum cases and containers.”

He said the engineered cases are “second to none.” Walter enjoys collaborating with ICC to solve their customers’ problems for engineering cases. One customer out of Chicago provides portable runway lighting systems for the U.S. Military. They required specific, lightweight cases that could be shipped worldwide and re-used. Each order requires about six cases, about 6’x5’x5′ in size. The importance of this mission is that they can set up the runway lighting for taxiways and runways, which helps military pilots to land planes effectively.

A sister company of SCS Cases that operates in the Seattle area is Engineered Packaging Solutions. They also partner with ICC for projects on the West Coast, according to Walter.

ICC’s Business Development Manager, Steve Ferris, has been with the company since January 2022. However, he said he worked for many years with their sister company, Heater Craft, and conversely, with the Baileys.

Ferris likes their work because “We are a solutions provider.” He noted that customers call them to share what they must ship, and ICC comes up with a solution to “protect whatever will be on the inside of the case.”

He added, “I feel it gratifying to provide a solution. They know what they need, but not specifics. Our team provides a solution for containers.”

He cited one project: “We built a large aluminum container that housed a heat shield for a space company. They previously used a wood container, but it would only last several shipping cycles and would be prone to damage. We built an aluminum one that could last hundreds of shipping cycles and protected the product inside.”

While the company must be discreet about specific customer names, they mention Boeing, Northrup Grumman, and the Texas National Guard on their website, www.icc-case.com. As a solution for a Boeing project, they built a case with the following attributes:

“Impact Case & Container recently completed a custom aluminum case for our customer Boeing to safely and effectively transport their satellite equipment. This custom container was equipped with the following features:

• Bold hold pattern for easy and secure mounting
• Shock-resistant materials for safe transportation
• Grounding lug
• Charging port
• Humidity indicator

The end result was an aluminum case that would safely and effectively transport the contents inside while providing Boeing with a reusable aluminum shipping container.” 

For the Texas Air National Guard, the case was made to “…store the parachutes and equipment needed for deployments. This case was also made available in the color red.”

Collaboration and meeting tight timeframes for delivery

Ferris said that one reason they are successful is because of the company’s collaborative nature. “Sometimes you go to a company, and people don’t work well together; everyone has their agenda and egos. We work collaboratively and well together; there is a history between many of us. The team collaboration is incredible.”

Kevin Bailey shared that one of the reasons that they cooperate effectively with customers is that “We are responsive; we take pride in listening and truly understanding their unique application.”

Bailey said that as a team, they can assimilate what is needed by what the container needs to accomplish. He said that customers are “pleased in general with how quickly (customization) can be done, and the final product received.”

Walter echoed that sentiment by saying they do get rush jobs with tight timeframes. He said, “Sometimes we have to work quickly to meet a product or shipping need.” He offered that in most cases, SCS and ICC would like to be involved earlier in the project to help design a solution to meet a product rollout or shipping need. He added, “We know the nuances and the possible fragility of a product, so that we can protect it properly from damage or mishandling.”

From laundry hampers to gun cases 

The company started making gun cases for Cabela’s in the early years. That is a small part of the business, because Bailey said, “We focus on the custom side of things.” However, they can do aluminum gun cases and new foam inserts for existing cases.

One of those exciting custom projects was for the Seattle Seahawks. “We did a new run of laundry hampers – they are high end,” Bailey said. He explained that after the games, the players needed locking hampers to store their jerseys and gear. “They needed rugged, lockable (hampers) that secures the jersey, has the team logo and handles shipment, no problem,” he added. He said that because aluminum is lightweight and can be shipped repeatedly, it is a much better solution than plastic or wood containers.

Aluminum, lightweight and resilient 

Bailey said that the aluminum cases could handle hundreds of shipping cycles, whereas wood can take 10-25 cycles, and cardboard can handle one to two processes. He shared, “Ours may be more expensive, but they last for years and years. It is an excellent ROI in the long term.”

He added that the foam inserts could be removed and modified as well. They charge the customer a nominal fee for repurposing or redesigning the foam, while the existing cases can continue to serve. Therefore, an aircraft manufacturer, for example, creates new parts to be shipped to a supplier for an assembly process; they can customize the foam insert repeatedly. The case can continue to be sent back to the aircraft manufacturer to house other parts in their process.

The aluminum is secured from local vendors like Coast Aluminum and Pacific Metals. “We buy it from folks with the coils and cut it to size,” said Bailey. But he said there are large mills throughout the country that make aluminum.

Summary 

In summary, Impact Case & Container of Hayden, Idaho provides customers worldwide industrial and custom case solutions. They have a resilient, reusable product that can be customized to fit the need of any manufacturer or aerospace supplier. They have 20 employees now but are growing and need welders and skilled assembly. Kevin and Regina Bailey and the team say that their family-like, collaborative culture is the key to success in the custom case industry.

The post Making the Case appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

By Tia Rivera

Moyaak Chuol noticed a new opportunity called Core Plus Aerospace while registering for classes his junior year of high school. He was immediately interested because he thought the new class focused on space. When he learned from a friend that it centered on hands-on learning, he was still excited to sign up. He didn’t know it at the time, but the opportunity would change the trajectory of his career.

Core Plus Aerospace is a program offered to high school juniors and seniors.  Its two year curriculum was developed by Boeing and focuses on general manufacturing in its first year and allows participants to specialize the next year. Students learn foundational manufacturing skills, such as blueprint reading, machining, precision measurement, and shop safety. The program takes place at high schools and skills centers across Washington State.

This summer, Boeing is hosting approximately 80 Core Plus Aerospace students as summer interns in its Everett and Renton factories. Through group activities, job shadowing, manufacturing training, and skills development, interns can prepare for college, the military or entry-level manufacturing jobs. As the need for skilled labor continues to grow, programs like Core Plus Aerospace give students the tools and experience they need to succeed right away in the workforce.

The importance of career readiness can’t be understated. According to a new study conducted by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute, the manufacturing skills gap in the United States could lead to more than two million unfilled jobs by 2030. The study also found that the amount of unfilled manufacturing positions could result in approximately $1 trillion in lost revenue.

Programs like Core Plus Aerospace help students discover new career paths and provide them training opportunities to make sure they have the skills necessary to fill these critical jobs. Job training isn’t the only aspect of the Core Plus Aerospace program to increase readiness for students. It also opens doors through personal connections. Now a Core Plus graduate, Moyaak Chuol credits the program and his shop teacher, Mr. Creed Nelson, for providing valuable networking opportunities.

“My class had someone new come in almost every week and they would not only help us join their company or college, but they would give us life advice that would help us later on in our careers,” Chuol said. “This program is really great because of all those connections. If a student knows they want to do a hands-on kind of job but has no idea how to build those skills…this program will help with that.”

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) cites that one of the biggest challenges facing manufacturing today is finding the right talent. Compared to data from 2018, manufacturing companies report that it is now 36 percent harder to find workers despite the unemployment rate nearly doubling the supply of potential employees. The problem extends from filling entry-level production positions to finding, hiring, and retaining skilled workers for specific jobs.

Core Plus Aerospace serves as a bridge that connects potential workers with eager employers. Chuol explains, “The key is that [students] are graduating with options and we have the freedom to choose what we want to do next.”

That is welcome news for the manufacturing industry, and specifically for Boeing, which sponsors Core Plus Aerospace and also designed the program curriculum based on the needs within its own workforce. Students who participate in Core Plus Aerospace are trained and evaluated by skilled professionals, many from Boeing. This helps students with networking and career preparation, as well as exposure to potential employers. Chuol is one of several Core Plus Aerospace graduates who earned a full-time position at Boeing after graduation.

“I’ve been with the company for three years now,” Chuol said. “Basically my job is to ensure that a work area is safe to work in. The other part is storage, and here in Moses Lake, we have about 170 airplanes we have to maintain.” 

Core Plus Aerospace is an innovative program that provides students with the training they need to step into in-demand careers and fill critical skills gaps in the U.S. manufacturing sector — a win for both young talent and the aerospace industry.

Tia Rivera is the Manufacturing Workforce Development Manager at Boeing.

The post Core Plus Aerospace Connects Students to In-Demand Careers  appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

Learn from top regional marketing and manufacturing experts what you can do to get in front of prospective candidates.

By Jennifer Ferrero

Hiring in the manufacturing industry is a big challenge. First, there was the “silver tsunami,” where many skilled manufacturing employees and the knowledge base of most companies were retiring in droves. Then, there was a pandemic that halted work and drove many people either into retirement or away from manufacturing.

Manufacturers in the United States face one of the most significant employee deficits of any industry. The Manufacturing Institute cites 2.4 million employee shortages in the coming years. Add the lack of specific manufacturing training, and things get tough.

Here, three local experts (including yours truly) share some insights into ways to keep your company’s recruitment and brand perception top of mind for candidates in the Northwest.

We’ll cover three areas in this article but look for upcoming educational podcasts from Northwest Aerospace News to learn more about how to improve your chances of hiring in the future.

Digital Marketing — targeting people who may be prospects for your business

Katie Vantine Anderson is a multimedia account executive, for KXLY-TV 4 News Now in Spokane. She works with businesses to help them reach target audiences, including manufacturers trying to hire.

Regional businesses are telling her that recruiting is their biggest challenge. She said, “From an advertising perspective, people are not necessarily talking about needing more customers. They are talking about needing employees — across the board.”

Anderson routinely hears that manufacturers and construction industries need more people. One way KXLY can help is through digital marketing strategies.

Anderson said, “With our tactics, we can target people based on job titles and qualifications.” She said that sometimes your next employee is one working for a competitor. They may not be looking for work, but they are skilled in your work. With retargeting campaigns through digital marketing, ads and content can be placed in front of people, which she said: “gets their wheels turning about working for your business.”

She noted that there aren’t as many people in the job market in the Spokane area, so you have to reach those currently working or who have the skills you need. Some people targeted aren’t planning to change jobs but may be a fit for your business.

“We approach prospective hires using different streaming platforms; you can target job titles for current people in those roles. Target and retarget for people who have been on your careers website and left — based upon online history, current job titles, and job seekers. We can get your message in front of the most qualified people,” she said. 

For those who may not be seeking work on LinkedIn or Indeed, Anderson said they could be targeted via streaming platforms like Hulu, YouTube TV, and similar platforms. “We can reach out to them and put an ad in front of those people where they are spending their time streaming,” she added.

If you are looking for a short-term solution, Anderson recommends spending time on your messaging. She said it is best to be direct and have a clear call to action in your ad that goes directly to the job description and application.

For a long-term solution in digital marketing, she suggested “a TV campaign and anything to do with branding, solidifying your brand as experts and being a leader in the region. When postings come up for an employer, people know your prestige and credibility in the community — being known as one of the best places in the world to work.”

Anderson concluded, “We did a marketing campaign for a regional manufacturer, and within minutes of the campaign launching they had applicants.”

Video Production and Print Marketing — staying top of mind with your brand.

Publisher of Northwest Aerospace News Magazine, Dean Cameron, talks with manufacturers all day long about the difficulty of hiring. He said, “It can be hard getting prospects in the door, and then once hired, some work for a week and then don’t come back.” He noted that there has been a shift in loyalty to hiring companies — sometimes a rarity in today’s workforce.

He said that the shallow labor pool, combined with challenges in the aerospace industry, like the issues with the 737 MAX followed by the pandemic and “silver tsunami” (baby boomer retirements), “has made the perfect storm,” Cameron said.

But there are two things that he thinks can help Northwest manufacturers with recruiting.

The first question he asks manufacturers is “How are you going to present your value?” He likes to use a term called concentric marketing (a circular approach), where you present many ways to bring your company to market.

He said, “If you focus on one way, you limit your opportunity. We have created a production video studio to support the new dynamic of video marketing — which the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified. Video also fully presents your company with a one-click method on the other end.”

Regarding print advertising, Cameron noted that Northwest Aerospace News and similar trade publications mailed in plastic wrap, safely insulated readers from the pandemic. He said, “Companies were getting the word out about all their new technologies, and the ads were making their way to subscribers without interruption.”

Now that the pandemic is effectively over, Cameron suggests both a short-term and long-term approach to recruiting.

“Long-term approaches will maximize your efficiency as a company. Analyze your corporate culture, and ask why would someone want to work for you? Ask yourself, where am I being seen? How am I being seen? You’ll never get an opportunity hiding in a corner,” he said.

He added that in the publishing world, “Often we find clients who stick their toe in the water and expect immediate results. Print marketing is not a one-and-done opportunity. It requires consistency, and possibly the one guy who sees it at the right time will become your largest client.”

Public relations and targeting trade publications — fostering community and trade publication relationships with earned media.

Regional manufacturers I am interviewing for articles share that it is challenging to find skilled labor. Many are turning to veterans or those recently separated from the military looking for work, because they feel persons with military experience will be more reliable than the current labor pool.

Recruiting for the aerospace manufacturing industry has been a challenge for the 15 years I have been a writer. There is a common misperception with manufacturers that marketing is not needed in their business. Most manufacturers I know of aren’t even familiar with the benefits of public relations and communications in addition to marketing. This hampers a company’s ability to both recruit and grow the business. 

Therefore, how can public relations and marketing solve the problem of recruiting and hiring new employees?

Public relations is a management function that establishes and maintains relationships between an organization and its public. The stakeholders of an organization have perceptions about the business — count your employees and customers in that group. Their perceptions are essential to business longevity.

Suppose you have a crisis in the business, for example. In that case, the company’s continuity can be damaged for a long time. Maintaining good relationships and perceptions about a business and its brand is essential to keeping customers and employees and is critical to prospective employees applying.

How can businesses seek out PR opportunities? In aerospace manufacturing, there are opportunities for building your public relations persona and fostering good feelings. Often, the common idea is to reach out to the local media to seek opportunities to be on the news to tell a feel-good story or to write an article in the local paper.

However, these opportunities need to go with something that will be of interest to the greater community — for example, an employee who saves a dog who became stuck in your warehouse. Or perhaps a story about a business growing outside of the area and doing good work nationally.

There are many ways to gain exposure, but local media often requires a bigger community lens.

Trade publications that target the industry, like Northwest Aerospace News, are a great way to earn media with feature stories about the business. Often a publication like this one will offer to write a story about the company.

These are typically done in a positive light and allow the business to “show off” a great company culture, new product launches, leadership changes, or uplifting buyouts. There are trade publications for very niche markets worldwide, and many can help your business directly receive the press it needs.

In summary

Hiring for aerospace manufacturing in 2022 is not a bed of roses. There are challenges, but hiring can be easier by using quality marketing and public relations techniques. When all else fails, call the experts who are happy to help define strategies and tactics to meet your goals.

Contact info:

KXLY — Digital Marketing

Katie Vantine Anderson

kanderson@kxly.com

(253) 653-0759

Top Drawer Media — Video and Print Marketing

Dean Cameron

dean@topdrawermedia.com

(509) 995-9958

Ferrero Agency — Public Relations and Communications

Jennifer Ferrero

jennifer@ferreroagency.com

(509) 294-0437

The post Is Hiring One of Your Biggest Challenges? appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.

Gary Owens, president of SkyOne Aerospace, has brought a strong work ethic to all endeavors, including his MRO shop in Spokane.

By Jennifer Ferrero

Gary Owens needed a job after high school where he could support himself. He started working in a mechanical environment and has never looked back. While his career has taken a variety of detours, he has chiefly been involved with aircraft maintenance, specifically propeller work. And he has been in leadership roles almost from the beginning.

Now, as President of SkyOne Aerospace, a business in Spokane Valley, Owens employs close to 20 people, primarily former military. He said, “The military trains them, and they take the work seriously.”

But in his career, at one point, he managed three facilities and up to 500 people when working for Brasstech, a faucet manufacturer. During his tenure with that company, he was on the road and, at one point, as a Marriot Rewards Member, found he had stayed in hotels 185 times in one year. He knew that it was time for a change. While he remained with the company for several years and grew in the position, he found his passion was in the aerospace industry.

He wanted to get back to the nuts and bolts of maintenance and repair, especially propeller work. Throughout his career, he obtained an education in A&P and business. Eventually, in 2015,  he met some partners who encouraged him to move his family to Spokane to start SkyOne Aerospace as an FAA Repair Station.

“A customer is more than a customer; I like to get to know people — you develop a relationship. It is a global industry, but the community is small,” Owens said.

They now offer full-service maintenance, repair, and overhaul on the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and the Lockheed P-3 Orion. Both military aircraft, the Hercules is “an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed,” and the P-3 is “a four-engine, turboprop anti-submarine, and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s.”

SkyOne maintains both propellers and avionics on these aircraft. In addition, they now have non-destructive testing (NDT) and a long list of supporting parts, from propeller control assemblies and spinners to propeller synchrophasers. Their turnaround time is four to six weeks. Owens said their business is all, “word of mouth and referrals; (we are) known in the industry as having a good reputation.” He said tongue and cheek, he’s known as the “old prop   guy — longest living guy doing this work.”

Kyle Barker, operations manager, joined the company in December 2021. Like in most small businesses, Barker said he wears many hats.

“As operations manager, I run things in the shop. I maintain schedules for IOC and the composite departments and manage customer relationships.” He is also in charge of shipping and hiring. He said finding employees, like most MRO or manufacturing shops, could be challenging. He noted that they would contact the TAPS class at Fairchild Airforce Base to find people transitioning out of their military service seeking this kind of work.

They also go to Spokane Community College to search out employees as well. “There aren’t a lot of companies that do the kind of repair that we do. To be able to do the repairs for the companies and countries that need it, it is important for us to get the job done correctly,” Barker said.

The company currently has just under 20 employees. Barker said they would have three to four more but finding reliable people today can be tough. He shared that they recently had a candidate who was offered a job and then went MIA. Barker said it isn’t uncommon for people to take unemployment over work. He added that he was at a trade show this year where a big topic of conversation was “How to get people who want to work.”

Despite hiring challenges, he added that he is impressed with the employee commitment at SkyOne. “Everyone is willing to help each other out. A core group of guys has been there for some time.” But he said that although there are many veterans in the workforce, the procedures are not military based but instead are based upon the experience that Owens has brought to the table.

One of SkyOne’s customers is Lee Beamon of Reliance Aircraft out of Austin, Texas. Beamon had known Owens for years and came to SkyOne with his business when Owens opened in 2015. “I started working with SkyOne when Gary opened. I knew him from his previous employer and followed him to SkyOne,” Beamon said.

Reliance Aircraft buys and sells airplane parts. Beamon works in the military division and sells, manages, and purchases parts for order.

He has stuck by Owen’s side because “SkyOne sells a quality product, stands by their product, and stands by what they tell you. If Gary says something, we take it as true,” Beamon said. And, per the Reliance Aircraft website, www.relianceaircraft.com, credibility is also key to their business, “We know the best relationships in business are built on trust and respect. We work tirelessly to provide our customers with the highest levels of service and equipment.”

So, it seems like-minded companies do business together. For SkyOne and Reliance, their quality and credibility are similar. Beamon said, “Their repair services are on point. If they can work on our parts, we don’t go out and search anymore for other vendors.”

Owens is proud of his established and maintained customer base over the years. It is because of hard work and trust building that they have done well. Perhaps it is also because they offer a unique service in the equipment they work on and maintain for both the U.S. and Canadian military. 

They’ve added new services, like NDT and fuselage metal work repair.

“We are one of only four U.S. companies supporting the propeller systems on the C-130,” Owens said.

What makes Owens most proud is SkyOne’s technical training programs in foreign countries. “I love interacting with the foreign militaries and training people,” he added. He is also proud of the family-oriented environment. He tells employees, “Don’t lie or steal from me, and we’ll get along great.”

While they have fun, like bringing in food and beer on a Friday afternoon, Owens said that is a part of having a healthy work environment. “I like living comfortably and having good relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. I love hanging out with the guys. Having a good job to come to is important,” he added.

A commitment to quality services, long-term relationships, and passion for the work are all things that drive Owens. A true leader with a strong work ethic encourages others to put in a hard day’s work at SkyOne Aerospace.

Contact Information 

SkyOne Aerospace

 509) 385-0233

 10305 E. Buckeye Lane

 Spokane Valley, WA, 99206

 Sales@Skyoneaerospace.com

 www.skyoneaerospace.com

The post An Honest Day’s Work appeared first on Northwest Aerospace News.