In conjunction with the 2016 Southeastern Aerospace Supplier and Advanced Manufacturing Summit in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, executives representing ARSA members First Aviation Services, Piedmont Propulsion Systems, HAECO Americas and North State Aviation participated in a panel discussion about issues and opportunities for aviation maintenance companies.

Sammy Oakley, Piedmont Propulsion Systems (left) and First Aviation’s Krotec (right) meet Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) (center) during the Summit.

Josh Krotec, First Aviation Service’s senior vice president and 2016 ARSA Government Affairs Chairman, Kip Blakely, HAECO Americas’ vice president of industry and government relations and James McPhail, North State Aviation’s vice president of strategic planning, spoke about a range of topics pertaining to the aviation maintenance industry, its customers and its suppliers.  Specific issues included opportunities for repair stations to support Department of Defense aircraft maintenance requirements and working with local technical schools to ensure a long-term supply of aviation maintenance technicians.

Emphasizing the importance of participating in industry events First Aviation’s Krotec said: “We believe it is imperative in order to promote solutions to issues that all repair stations face and foster discussion of how MROs, aircraft operators and the government can work together to improve safety, airworthiness, and efficiency.”

“It was a very worthwhile conference and great opportunity for networking with other members of the aerospace industry,” said North State’s McPhail.  “I’d encourage all ARSA members to participate in these kind of events in their local areas to gain insights about the industry, make new contacts, and learn about the challenges and opportunities facing aerospace companies.”

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