West Coast Edition January 2026

GROOVING THREADING PARTING BORING TURNING FACE GROOVING CUSTOM TOOLING FORM TOOLING MILL TOOLING

REAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT.

From

Lee Benson grew Able Aerospace from 3 people to 500+ and sold it for 9

Leadership

Monthly live calls with Lee Tools and frameworks that work on the shop floor 24/7 access to practical resources

Editors Corner

Dear Readers,

Wow - how quickly time has flown since we took over the publication. It feels like we were just getting our feet under us, and now we’re already building a rhythm. A big thank you to Linda and Kim, who have been incredible throughout the transition. Their support has made all the difference, and we are excited to keep the momentum going. Not just for the next issue, but for years to come.

We ventured into this business because we believe in precision manufacturing. We have seen first hand that machin shopes, whether they are small, family-run operations or larger, highly specialized facilities, are the backbone of our industrial economy. They solve real problems, make the parts that keep everything moving, and do it with a level of grit, creativity, and craftsmanship that does not always get the spotlight it deserves. That is where we come in.

Going forward, our goal is simple: tell great stories. The stories of shops that are pushing the limits of quality and capability. The stories of suppliers who make the work possible. The stories behind the people, processes, and decisions that turn raw material into something mission-critical. If you are reading this, you are apart of that ecosystem, and we are grateful to have you with us.

You have probably hear the opinion that print magazines are “on the way out.” But a study produced by the Baxter Research Center paints a different picture, especially for niche publications like ours. A few insights we found especially interesting from this study are:

• Niche print readers are highly engaged. The majoirty of readers spend substantial time with each issue, with over 75% spending 30 minutes or more reading.

• There is hight repeat exposure. The same issue is often picked up several times, with 80% picking it up at least two times, and many three times or more.

• Ads get noticed. Magazine readers are 37% more likely to pay attention to advertisments compated to other media channels.

• 52-67% of readers consider purchasing after seeing a product or service in a magazine.

• Over 40% visit an advertiser’s website.

That matters, because this publication is built on our readers and our advertisers. So whether you are a seasoned marketing professional or you are new to advertising and thinking about making 2026 your year to jump in, do not delay! Reach out, we would love to help you find the rigWht message, the right placement, and the right plan to connect with the audience that actually cares.

Cheers to 2026, and God bless America,

Charlie & Alex Hushek

| Managing Partners | Editor in Cheif |

Table of Contents:

Address: 24 W Camelback Rd. #A408, Phoenix, AZ 85013

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CONTRIBUTORS

Published bi-monthly to keep precision manufacturers abreast of news and to supply a vi

able vendor source for the industry.

Circulation: The A2Z MANUFACTURING has compiled and maintains a master list of approximately 8500 people actively engaged in the precision manufacturing Industry. It has an estimated pass on readership of more than 19,300 people.

Advertising Rates, deadlines and mechanical requirements furnished upon request or you can go to A2ZMANUFACTURING.com.

The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the contents of any advertisement, and all representations are those of the advertiser and not that of the publisher.

The Publisher is not liable to any advertiser for any misprints or errors not the fault of the publisher, and in such event, the limit of the publisher's liability shall only be the amount of the publishers charge for such advertising. Built for the Dreamers: How Kalos Certifications small to Med-sized

Announcements & Press Releases

California awards nearly $100M in CalCompetes tax credits to manufacturing expansions

California’s Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GOBiz) announced a new round of California Competes (CalCompetes) tax credits intended to accelerate manufacturing investment and job creation. On November 17, 2025, the state said it would award $99.9 million in credits to nine companies planning to establish or expand manufacturing operations and related headquarters activity in California. The governor’s office framed the move as part of the California Jobs First initiative and the state’s Economic Blueprint.

The announcement is notable for both its scale and its “public return” narrative. California projected that the credits will help generate more than $370 million in new private capital investment and support an estimated 2,752 new jobs. The state also highlighted the compensation profile: the projected average weighted annual salary across those jobs is about $139,000, signaling that many roles are expected to be higherskill positions tied to

advanced processes, engineering, and quality systems.

From an industrial strategy perspective, California emphasized that the awardees span multiple manufacturing niches, including aerospace, wastewater treatment, and microelectronics. Those categories typically carry long-lived capital assets, complex supply chains, and substantial secondary effects for suppliers, from machining and coatings to heat treat, tooling, and specialized logistics. The state also cited the broader baseline that manufacturing delivered $405.6 billion in output in 2024 and employed more than 1.24 million workers, reinforcing why the sector is being labeled for both “strengthen” and “accelerate” attention in statewide planning.

For companies operating in or around California’s manufacturing base, the practical implication is that incentives are being used as a targeted lever to reduce the hurdle rate for expansions and anchor production footprints locally. For supplier networks, the likely knockon effect is a larger pipeline of RFQs and capacity pulls as these projects move from incentive announcements into procurement and rampup phases. It also highlights California’s use of performance-based incentives to compete for industrial projects.

Neros Inc. is on the Rise

Neros, an El Segundo-based defense technology company, is simultaneously scaling manufacturing and deepening its role in U.S. military small-drone modernization, according to two recent company announcements.

Neros+1on the procurement front, Neros says it has been selected as one of the primary manufacturers for the U.S. Army’s Purpose-Built Attritable Systems (PBAS) program, an effort aimed at fielding modular, mission-adaptable first-person-view (FPV) drones at the platoon level. Under PBAS, the company will supply its Archer and Archer

Strike platforms in both 5-inch and 10-inch variants, described as the next evolution of its earlier 8-inch Archer system. Neros also notes that the Army package includes “Flatbow,” a soldier-borne variant of its Crossbow ground control system, intended to provide a rugged mobile control platform with features designed to reduce vulnerability to jamming in contested electromagnetic environments.

Neros positions the PBAS selection as the outcome of a development cycle shaped by operational feedback and “real-world results in Ukraine.” It highlights mission flexibility across the product line: Archer Strike is designed to integrate with Kraken Kinetics Terminus strike payloads for anti-armor and antipersonnel engagements, with the company stating ranges exceeding 20 kilometers, while non-Strike Archer variants are presented as configurable systems with easily modifiable payload options.

In parallel, Neros announced a $75 million Series B financing led by Sequoia Capital, with participation from Vy Capital US and Interlagos. The company says the round follows a period of production scaling, revenue growth, and customer deployments, including a large U.S. Marine Corps purchase and the PBAS selection.

Neros states the raise brings total capital raised to over $120 million and will be used to expand industrial capacity, scale production of Archer/Archer Strike and its ground control systems, and reinforce a “China-free” supply chain through vertical integration and investment in allied component suppliers. It also plans increased R&D for future autonomous system architectures and continued expansion with allied customers, including growth of its Kyiv office and ongoing deliveries to the U.K. Ministry of Defence.

Lam Research opens new $65M building at its Tualatin campus

Lam Research deepened its long-term manufacturing and engineering footprint in Oregon’s “Silicon Forest” with the opening of a new facility at its Tualatin campus. On November 21, 2025, Lam announced it marked a ribboncutting for a new $65 million office building, describing it as the latest U.S. expansion supporting the company’s role in providing semiconductor fabrication equipment and processes that enable AIera chip production. The event included state

and local officials and was positioned as evidence of continued investment in a region where Lam has operated for more than three decades.

While described as an “office building,” the strategic significance is industrial: Lam’s products sit at the core of capital-intensive chipmaking, and expansion of R&D and engineering capacity typically links directly to future tool roadmaps, process development, and customer support. Thirdparty reporting on the opening noted the facility is intended to bolster R&D capacity in particular, reinforcing Oregon’s role in the company’s innovation pipeline. For the regional manufacturing ecosystem, that matters because the semiconductor equipment sector drives highskill employment and a specialized supplier base that spans precision machining, advanced materials, mechatronics, vacuum and fluid systems, electronics manufacturing services, and facilities infrastructure.

Lam framed the expansion in the context of accelerating demand signals tied to AI, which is pushing chipmakers to adopt advanced etch, deposition, and packaging processes.

Investments that support faster product cycles can have long tails: they influence not only local hiring and construction activity, but also the cadence of supplier qualification,

prototype runs, and ongoing maintenance and upgrades. The ribboncutting, with participation from elected officials and community leaders, also suggests a desire to keep Oregon positioned as a competitive hub for advanced

manufacturing knowhow, not only wafer fabrication.

In short: unlike a single production line opening, this story is about capacity for innovation and industrial “brainpower.” In a semiconductor supply chain increasingly defined by speed and complexity, that kind of investment can be as consequential as adding factory floor square footage.

Lexington Manufacturing expands into Prineville with 600,000

sq ft

facility

A more traditional, materialsandprocess manufacturing story emerged in Central Oregon as Lexington Manufacturing

announced it will establish a large new facility in Prineville.

In a December 4, 2025 announcement, the Minnesotabased company said the expansion strengthens its West Coast presence and leverages an existing plant that has long served the fenestration (door and window) manufacturing industry.

Lexington’s plan is notable for the scale of the physical asset relative to the community. The company said the Prineville site will include approximately 600,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Equipment details in Lexington’s release point to a production mix focused on laminated and wrapped components: seven lamination lines, four profile wrappers, two mould lines, and other woodprocessing equipment.

Lexington also said it expects to add about 50 new employees with the expansion and emphasized that keeping the facility active helps “keep that piece of the community alive” after prior changes at the site.

For Prineville and the surrounding region, the story fits a familiar pattern: a large industrial footprint changes hands, and the nearterm goal is stabilizing employment and retaining industrial capability rather than building a greenfield plant. Local coverage described Lexington as taking over a recently closed local plant, a transition that can reduce startup friction because major infrastructure and

The Mystery of Metal

By Peter Hushek

My career has been centered around metals processing (heat treating) which for the most part, involve standard cycles and the ability to control part movement while providing uniform properties. In essence this is the easy part of the job but as many of you have learned metals have a mind of their own. I am here to tell you that they indeed do have a mind of their own! But they can also be persuaded or tricked into behaving better.

In nearly all cases, the appearance of a problem occurs with the starting stock of the material. One of the often missed opportunities for high quality parts is the metal distributor selection and material lot options. Most purchasing agents do not realize that the very specifications that are used to control material chemistry and mechanical properties create internal stresses through mill operations that can come back to haunt machinists.

The following is an actual case study that relates to the movement of aluminum sheet purchased in Condition T-6. A customer came to us asking to straighten the bow of an approximately 0.100” in a 4” x 3” x 0.090” thick part. The parts were unusable in distorted condition and attempts at mechanical straightening were fruitless as well as frustrating. The problem arose from the relief of rolling stresses, induced at the mill. For the mill to generate the T-6 Condition it must be processed through a solution treat, quench and artificial age. Distortion was induced at the quench step but to meet the procurement specs for flatness the material required a “cold finishing” operation immediately after the quench.

This cold finishing operation in essence is a cold reduction step that induces compressive stresses to the thin sheet stock. The material is not flat and is artificially aged to meet the Condition T-6 mechanical property requirements. The mill met the procurement specifications by performing the cold finishing but set up the opportunity for the material to move when any non-symmetrical material removal occurred. In this case, the difference between stock removal from front to back was 0.027” and only in eight small bosses.

movement. Since the material was now in T-6 it did not respond to mechanical straightening. The difference between the yield strength and the ultimate tensile was too small and as soon as the yield point was reached the movement was too great. They were truly between a rock and a hard place. No one could have predicted the problem at the time of material purchase.

The solution was developed through an understanding of the material properties at temperature combined with the restraint of the metal in the opposite direction to the bow. After two to three different optional “stress relief” cycles and differing restraint, the parts were “made flat”.

This process added cost and time to production, which is never ideal for a machinist. But the parts were salvaged. During discussions with the customer, we learned that this bow did not occur when they made the First Article parts and they wanted to know why it happened this time. If the stock material was from different material lots, it can happen. Every mill has different equipment, standard operating procedures and the billet, original starting material, can cause the difference.

The big take-away here is to keep a scorecard, not on the distributers, but rather on the mills that make the material. The products everyone purchases are products of many different factors. The material meets the procurement specifications from chemical and physical properties but must be in a state of dynamic balance. Any material removal will upset this balance and movement can happen. It adds extra work to monitor a mill’s output quality but in the long run this extra homework will ensure you have a high quality machined part.

A simple boss that looked easy from a material removal point of view resulted in over 0.100” dimensional

Peter Hushek Chief Metallurgical Engineer Thermal Innovation Technologies Pete.Hushek@pm.me

an industrial zoning baseline are already in place. For suppliers and contractors, the most relevant downstream demand will likely include lumber and engineered-wood inputs, adhesives and coatings, packaging materials, material handling, and equipment maintenance—plus ongoing quality and logistics services as the facility ramps to steady-state utilization.

At the state level, the expansion adds balance to Oregon’s manufacturing narrative during a period when semiconductor employment has been volatile. Even modest job additions in durable-goods production can matter in smaller markets, especially when they prevent a specialized industrial building from becoming a long-term vacancy.

Helion Energy scales up ‘Omega’ manufacturing facility to build fusion power components

Washington’s manufacturing news in November included an unusual player: a fusionenergy startup that is trying to act like a factory company before it has proven the core physics at commercial scale. On November 11, 2025 (updated Nov. 19), GeekWire profiled Helion Energy’s strategy to industrialize fusion power by building not only a seventhgeneration prototype and a first commercial power plant, but also a dedicated manufacturing operation to massproduce key components for future plants.

The centerpiece is “Omega,” a roughly 166,000squarefoot facility near Helion’s

Everett headquarters that the company leased to house an assembly line for the thousands of highpower capacitors used to deliver massive electrical surges to its fusion generator and capture energy output. Helion’s production leaders described the company bluntly as a manufacturing operation rather than a pure R&D lab, emphasizing that scaling quickly requires tight coupling between design engineers and manufacturing engineers. GeekWire reported that Helion intends to begin installing assembly-line equipment in Omega in early 2026, with production starting in late 2026, and that the facility will help produce roughly 2,500 capacitor units needed for the company’s first 50megawatt Orion plant in Malaga, Washington.

Helion argued that keeping manufacturing and assembly in-house helps avoid supply-chain disruptions, could mitigate tariff volatility, and allows faster iteration as designs evolve. The article also placed the effort in the context of surging demand for clean electricity— driven by AI data centers and broad electrification—and noted that Microsoft has agreed to buy the electricity produced by the Orion plant once operational.

From a state competitiveness standpoint, the story

Phoenix Heat Treating Achieves Second Consecutive Zero-Finding

Nadcap Audit

Phoenix Heat Treating announced it has achieved its second consecutive zero-finding Nadcap audit, reaffirming the company’s unwavering commitment to robust systems, process control, and a culture of continuous improvement.

The Nadcap auditor praised Phoenix Heat Treating’s electronic quality and production systems, stating:

“In my 20+ years of auditing across the world, this electronic system, the transparency and visibility is one of the best I have ever seen.”

This successful audit result confirms not only the strength of Phoenix Heat Treating’s procedures and controls, but also the dedication and professionalism of its people.

“Our systems matter, but they only work because of the culture and team behind them,” said Joe “Rico” Osequera (Quality Manager). “This zero-finding result is a direct reflection of the pride, ownership, and attention to detail our people bring every day.”

As a result of the strong audit performance, Phoenix Heat Treating will gain 24-month Nadcap Merit status, providing continued assurance to customers that their critical components are processed to the highest aerospace and industrial standards.

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Operating 50+ furnaces 27/4 with the capability of performing 20+ different heat treating processing Phoenix Heat Treating is committed to being the most customer-centric heat treater in the country.

Announcements & Press Releases Continuation

ties hightech manufacturing capacity to policy. GeekWire noted that Washington’s congressional leaders recently introduced a Fusion Advanced Manufacturing Parity Act aimed at providing large tax credits for fusion supply-chain components, reflecting an effort to anchor this emerging industrial base locally.

For traditional manufacturers, the Helion profile is a case study in “design for manufacturability” taken to an extreme: the companyW is building volume production capability for a product category that does not yet exist at scale. If fusion works, Washington could host a new kind of energymanufacturing supply chain; if it doesn’t, the story is still instructive about how companies are planning to industrialize nextgeneration technologies.

Boeing Closes Spirit AeroSystems Acquisition

On December 8, 2025, Boeing officially closed its acquisition of major portions of Spirit AeroSystems, bringing back inhouse the commercial aerostructures work that Spirit has

performed since Boeing spun the business off in 2005. The transaction is designed to tighten Boeing’s operational control over some of the most safety- and schedule-critical structures in its commercial portfolio—especially as the company continues working to stabilize production quality and delivery cadence across key programs. Boeing said the deal folds in Spirit’s Boeing-related commercial and aftermarket operations, including 737 fuselages and major structures for the 767, 777, and 787, along with significant spare-parts and aftermarket capabilities.

A central feature of the closing is that it wasn’t a simple “one buyer, one company” outcome. Because Spirit also builds major aerostructures for Airbus programs, the closing arrived alongside planned Airbus-related divestitures intended to align each airframer with the portions of Spirit most tied to its own aircraft families. Reuters reported Airbus acquired Spirit operations across several locations, including sites in North Carolina, Northern Ireland, Scotland, France, and Morocco, as part of the broader realignment. Regulatory review shaped the final path to closing.

In early December, FlightGlobal reported the U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved Boeing’s acquisition while requiring divestitures consistent with the Airbus carveout plan already embedded in the transaction structure. The human and industrial footprint is significant. Reuters reported roughly 15,000 Spirit employees transition into Boeing, and noted potential labor ripple effects as teams

and bargaining units are integrated.

Ultimately, the closing marks a decisive shift toward vertical integration in large commercial aerospace— an acknowledgement by Boeing (and Airbus, in parallel) that the parts most central to certification, safety, and delivery performance are increasingly viewed as too important to leave at arm’s length.

Boeing Wins Big

The Mesa, Arizona operation of The Boeing Co. closed out 2025 with a major milestone, securing a new $2.7 billion contract from the U.S. Army on the final day of the year. The agreement marks Boeing’s second multibillion-dollar award in just two months and further solidifies Mesa’s role as a cornerstone of the company’s global helicopter operations. Under the contract, Boeing will provide longterm post-production support services for the Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, which is manufactured at Boeing’s Mesa facility near Falcon Field Airport. The work is expected to continue through May 3032.

The Pentagon stated that the contract is designed to ensure the longterm readiness and sustainment of the Army’s Apache fleet, one of its most critical combat aviation assets. Boeing was the sole bidder for the work, reflecting its unique position as the original manufacturer and long-standing steward of the Apache platform. This award follows a separate $4.685 billion contract Boeing received in late November for continued Apache helicopter production, which included orders from the Polish military and

other international customers. Together, the deals underscore strong and sustained demand for the Apache program across both U.S. and allied defense forces.

Boeing has produced Apache helicopters in Mesa since 1975, and the program recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Nearly 3,000 aircraft have been built at the site, with more than 1,300 currently operating worldwide. Boeing employs nearly 5,000 workers in Arizona, making it one of the state’s largest private employers.

The contracts further contribute to Arizona’s rapidly expanding aerospace and

Lockheed Martin Announces Strategic Investment

Lockheed Martin announced a $50 million strategic investment in Saildrone aimed at rapidly advancing unmanned surface vehicle (USV) capabilities for the U.S. Navy, pairing Saildrone’s operationally proven autonomous platforms with Lockheed Martin’s combat-tested defense payloads. The collaboration is positioned as a commercial path to fielding “ready-now” capability, with both companies targeting system integrations and on-water live-fire demonstrations in 2026.

This partnership is a way to accelerate the Navy’s broader USV vision across missions such as fleet defense, undersea surveillance, reconnaissance, and attack. Work is planned to begin immediately using an open-architecture approach and secure commandand-control integration. The first major integration named is Lockheed Martin’s JAGM Quad Launcher (JQL) mounted onto the Saildrone Surveyor platform. Beyond the

Surveyor, Saildrone says larger vehicles are already in development to carry substantially larger payloads, including potential integrations like the Lockheed Martin Mk70 vertical launching system (VLS) launcher and thin line

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towed arrays, signaling an intent to support more complex and higher-end naval missions.

Leaders from both companies emphasize speed and scale. Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems president describes the effort as combining leading commercial autonomy with trusted defense systems to deliver a lethal naval solution quickly, aligning the initiative with national

defense urgency. Saildrone’s CEO highlights that the company has spent the last decade improving platform reliability, endurance, and autonomy, noting Saildrone vehicles have completed over 2 million nautical miles of customer missions— positioning the platform as mature enough to incorporate advanced military payloads. He also

points to an expanded mission se t that could include electronic warfare, anti-submarine warfare, sophisticated ISR, and kinetic effects, integrated with Lockheed Martin command, control, and fire-control systems.

Operationally and industrially, Saildrone will retain shipbuilding responsibilities, while Lockheed Martin will act as lead mission integrator. The release also highlights potential domestic economic impact, noting that larger Saildrone systems are produced at Austal USA and that scaling production could broaden benefits across the U.S. maritime and defense industrial base.

Raytheon Closes 2025 Strong

RTX announced a $53 million expansion at its Andover, Massachusetts site— an investment aimed at increasing throughput for radar and sensor production tied to the U.S. Army’s Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) program. From a manufacturing lens, this is a clear “rateready” move: more floor space, more production equipment, and more test/inspection capability to support higher delivery tempo and reduce cycle-time risk. These expansions tend to reflect multi-year demand signals and are usually paired with supplier development efforts, because complex defense electronics and phasedarray radar builds rely on specialized components and skilled labor.

In parallel, industry coverage during this period emphasized the U.S. push to increase missile and interceptor availability through repeatable, higherrate production—not just one-time surges. This has practical shop-floor implications: tighter material planning, qualification of alternate sources for constrained components, and investment in acceptance testing to prevent test throughput from becoming the bottleneck as output rises. For companies like Raytheon, the challenge is often less “can we build it” and more “can we build it reliably at scale,” while meeting stringent defense quality and traceability requirements.

Taken together, Raytheon’s posture in late 2025 reads as a shift from episodic production to sustained industrial cadence. For suppliers, that typically means longer-horizon demand planning, heavier emphasis on documented process control, and increased scrutiny on nonconformance and rework. It can also mean new opportunities for qualified subcontractors in fixtures, tooling, special processes, and test support, because expansions frequently expose secondorder constraints (like metrology capacity or burn-in test availability). If you’re evaluating Raytheon/RTX as a manufacturing ecosystem partner, the key signal is clear: capital is being put into physical capacity, indicating intent to execute at higher rates rather than simply manage backlog.

Milestones Achieved for SpaceX Starship Heavy

SpaceX’s most manufacturing-adjacent news in this period was the regulatory decision that enables major new Starship ground infrastructure work in Florida— an industrial expansion that drives fabrication, construction, and long-term operations support. On November 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Air Force issued a signed Record of Decision (ROD) for the Starship–Super Heavy Environmental Impact Statement at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (SLC37). While the ROD is not a “vehicle production” announcement, it is a gating milestone that unlocks redevelopment of a launch complex, propellant systems, and related facilities that collectively act as a manufacturing and operations multiplier.

From a manufacturing perspective, a second Starship-capable coast means more than another pad. It implies additional demand for cryogenic tank farms, high-flow piping, structural steel, integration hardware, transport/handling systems, and acceptance-test infrastructure. It also supports higher cadence

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potential by creating geographic redundancy and more scheduling flexibility—important for a program that uses an “industrial repetition” model: build, test, fly, recover, refurbish. That model shifts constraints between vehicle/ engine output, ground systems readiness, and licensing timelines; adding Florida capability changes that constraint map by expanding the physical base that can support frequent operations.

Independent reporting following the ROD emphasized that environmental approval cleared a key path for SLC-37 redevelopment and described the kind of infrastructure elements that translate into real industrial work packages. Even if the execution timeline depends on leases, construction sequencing, and vehicle readiness, the manufacturing signal is that SpaceX is positioning Starship as a multi-site, high-tempo system—not a single-location experimental effort.

For suppliers and manufacturing services firms, the practical takeaway is that regulatory “go” decisions precede multiyear procurement and fabrication demand. In space programs, ground infrastructure is often the less glamorous but highly tangible part of industrial scaling—requiring robust quality controls, tight safety standards, and frequent engineering changes as the operational concept evolves.

Bell’s manufacturing-relevant news in Oct–Dec 2025 was driven by the industrialization of the U.S. Army’s MV-75 Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, and what that shift means for Bell’s production ecosystem. Industry coverage during this window noted that Bell’s revenue dynamics increasingly reflected MV-75 work as the program advances, even as commercial helicopter deliveries were softer. From a manufacturing standpoint, that is a strong signal that resources—engineering effort, tooling attention, supplier bandwidth, and production planning—are being pulled toward the new platform’s build readiness.

Textron’s corporate reporting also pointed to backlog strength at Bell and to ongoing efforts to improve operations as production ramps. Investor-language can be high level, but the underlying factory reality for FLRAA is demanding: drivetrain and rotor system build discipline, high-criticality structural parts, and tightly controlled final assembly flows. Programs like MV-75 also tend to drive earlier commitments to long-lead equipment and tooling, especially if the customer explores accelerated schedules. Coverage in this timeframe referenced the Army’s interest in reducing risk and potentially moving faster—conditions that often “pull left” manufacturing investment decisions and intensify supplier qualification efforts.

Taken together, Bell’s late-2025 manufacturing theme is preparation for cadence. Even if the biggest brick-and-mortar

Built for the Dreamers: How Kalos Certifications

Champions Small and Mid-Sized Manufacturers

For many manufacturers, a visit from a certification body still conjures images of strangers with clipboards, hunting for flaws and handing out nonconformances like speeding tickets. For the team behind Kalos, though, audit day should be a good day—tough and honest, yes—but ultimately encouraging, clarifying, and even energizing. That conviction comes straight from the life stories of its two co-owners, Michaela Scarla and Alex Whittle, who grew up professionally not in conference rooms, but on shop floors, in receiving, in inspection, and inside family businesses where a single purchase order can make or break a month.

From the Shop Floor to the Standards: Alex’s Path

Alex will tell you she “stumbled into” manufacturing. Fresh out of high school and in university, she took what she assumed was a simple office job at a “small” machine shop in northern Arizona. In reality, it was a 500-person operation turning out precision components. That’s where she first heard the words ISO 9001.

The company was already certified, and Alex was pulled into quality almost by accident. She became an ISO coordinator, then an internal auditor, and discovered that the logic of management systems simply matched how her brain worked. Of course you’d want to manage processes, measure performance, and avoid doing things twice. Going back to check that what you said you would do was actually happening felt like common sense, not bureaucracy.

Her curiosity eventually pulled her into a large semiconductor company, where she saw what ISO 9001 looks like at scale: hundreds of thousands of parts made every day, high-volume production, tight controls. It was valuable experience—but she missed the variety and “many hats” of smaller businesses. In big companies, she jokes, they give you one hat and hope you wear it for 30 years.

A move to Phoenix Logistics opened the next chapter. There she met AS9100, the aerospace standard. Starting in receiving, she learned it from the ground up—how requirements shaped incoming inspection, purchasing, engineering, and the entire flow of parts. It wasn’t abstract; if engineering was wrong, she couldn’t receive product. That interconnectedness clicked. Over time, Alex rose through inspection roles into quality management. By then she knew AS9100 “from the floor up,” not just as a book on the shelf.

That perspective got noticed. Industry veteran Walt Reams encouraged her to become a third-party auditor, breaking her assumption that you had to be retired to do that job. She completed the training and experience over several years, joined Great Western Registrar, and became one of the younger aerospace auditors in the region. It was in that world—specifically the aerospace auditor transition training—that Alex first met Michaela, not yet knowing they would one day co-own a certification body together.

Growing Up in a Machine Shop: Michaela’s Entrepreneurial DNA

If Alex stumbled into manufacturing, Michaela was born into it. She grew up in and around her family’s machine shop, which started in her dad’s backyard and eventually moved into a “real” facility as the business grew. One year he was building knives and traveling to trade shows; another he was designing all-metal RC car roll cages and hauling kits to hobby expos.

Michaela’s after-school care was the shop. Her early responsibilities were humble but formative: assembling kits, counting screws, managing rudimentary inventory—long before she knew those terms. Looking back as a quality professional, she laughs at how trusting her dad was of those counts.

As she got older, her parents encouraged her to work outside the family business. She tried caregiving in senior living, interned at an architecture firm, and enrolled in engineering school. On paper, it made sense—she’d grown up around machinists and AutoCAD. In reality, sitting in a cubicle doing CAD all day felt wrong for someone naturally talkative, relational, and wired for motion. So she did what many second-generation shop kids eventually do: she came back.

Her dad’s invitation was simple: Come sweep floors. Machines can always be cleaned; floors can always be swept. Around that time, a major customer told the shop they needed ISO 9001 certification. Her dad didn’t have time to read the standard, so he handed the project to the most organized person not tied to a machine: Michaela.

With help from a consultant, she colorcoded shelves, formalized basic procedures, and put enough structure in place to face the audit—without having read the standard herself. When auditor Walt Reams arrived, he saw something unusual: someone who clearly understood the system, instinctively. He urged her to take the ISO 9001 lead auditor course, and her path changed.

Michaela began auditing for Great Western Registrar, first for ISO 9001 and later for AS9100 after gaining hands-on aerospace supplier experience at Vitron. Meanwhile, she earned an Masters in Business Management at Arizona State University, balanced consulting and auditing, and became the de-facto trainer for many of Great Western’s new auditors—often retirees from large primes now being coached by someone in her twenties. She didn’t just audit; she streamlined internal forms and processes and helped modernize the operation. Then, almost overnight, everything changed.

The Weekend Kalos Certifications Was Born

In late 2018, auditors and clients received an email: the local certification body had been sold.

There had been no long runway, no public succession plan. Within minutes of the announcement, Michaela’s phone lit up. She had audited more than 50 clients a year; many called her before they called the office. All she could do was read the same short email they already had in front of them.

That weekend, she headed to Mexico with her family for an off-road race and spent long walks on the beach thinking. She knew one thing very clearly: she was not built to be a traditional, clock-punching employee. She also knew there was still room in the market for a small, relationship-driven certification body that took both clients and auditors seriously.

By Monday, the LLC paperwork for what would become Kalos was filed. Next came the calls to ANAB, the accreditation body. The expected timeline to secure accreditation was well over a year. Michaela politely ignored the timeline, promised her application in a month, and delivered.

From early December 2018 to mid-September 2019, she pushed through documentation, multiple rounds of accreditation audits, and witnessed audits in the field. By fall, Kalos had its accreditation certificate—a sprint in a world that usually moves at a walk.

Just as things were settling, March 2020 arrived.

The pandemic hit when Kalos was still small, with only a handful of clients. To keep things afloat, Michaela leaned on consulting. As Kalos grew, she deliberately stepped back from QMS consulting to avoid conflicts and focus on building the certification body the right way. During this period, Alex joined Kalos first as an auditor and eventually as co-owner. Their auditing styles, expectations, and shared mentors made the partnership feel natural from day one.

Growth came mostly through word of mouth: a solid web presence, a reputation for fair but firm audits, and referrals within the tight-knit Western manufacturing community. Year after year, the business roughly doubled, expanding across the U.S. and into Canada while staying intentionally lean and boutique.

Kalos Today: By the Numbers

For all the emphasis on relationships and culture, Kalos is also a tangible business success. The numbers tell part of the story:

Kalos at a Glance

• Years in operation: 6 years

• Active clients: 110 across the U.S. and Canada

• Industries served: Aviation, Defense, and Commercial Manufacturing; Distribution Services, Contract Management Services

• Annual audit days delivered: 250 days

• Percentage of work in manufacturing: 90%

• Average auditor industry experience: 25 years

For Michaela and Alex, these aren’t vanity metrics. Each number represents a shop that chose Kalos, often because another manufacturer said, “You should call them.” The stats are really a snapshot of something harder to quantify: trust built one audit, one shop tour, one closing meeting at a time.

The Kalos Difference

So what sets Kalos apart from the giant global brands on one end and the one-person operations on the other?

Boutique scale, serious rigor

Kalos aims for a “cozy small-shop feel” backed by real infrastructure. Clients don’t interact with an auditor working solo out of a garage, but they’re not lost in a corporate maze either. Every audit report goes through 100% technical review, and Kalos maintains its own internal quality management system that’s audited four to five times a year. The same discipline they expect from manufacturers is applied to themselves.

Auditors who have actually “been there”

About 90% of Kalos’ work is in manufacturing. They believe auditors should have real manufacturing experience to match. When someone applies, the first thing they ask for is a detailed resume—not just titles, but every “odd job” and hands-on role. Each experience maps to industry codes that define where the auditor is competent to work.

Kalos doesn’t send people into environments they don’t understand. Many of their auditors have run machine shops, worked in inspection, or owned small manufacturing businesses. That allows them to translate the black-and-white language of ISO and AS standards into practical, realistic expectations—whether they’re standing in a CNC shop, a mine, or a fabrication bay. Just as importantly, they know how to scale expectations. What’s appropriate for a global prime is not what’s appropriate for a six-person job shop.

A deliberate apprenticeship model

Kalos doesn’t treat auditors as disposable gig workers. Instead, they invest heavily in homegrown auditors through a structured apprenticeship program. Each year, they bring on only one or two apprentices— carefully matched to actual client volume— so they can afford to train them “the Kalos way.” Apprentices shadow experienced auditors, get extensive coaching, and are encouraged to call for help.

Michaela tells the story of a newly witnessed auditor who called her five times in one day; she took every call and then joined the closing meeting to support him.

This approach is about competence and character. Kalos looks for people who are self-driven, open to feedback, curious about new processes, and humble enough to remember they are guests on-site. They pay on the higher end of market rates, but expect higher standards in return.

local manufacturing networks help?

For clients, it’s a reminder that Kalos exists year-round—not just during the three or four days an auditor is onsite. For Kalos, it’s a way to keep a finger on the pulse of the small and mid-sized manufacturers they care most about.

Built for Dreamers, Not Dominance

Ask Michaela and Alex about their growth plans and they won’t talk about “world domination.” They’re proud to be expanding— especially across the West Coast, where proximity makes travel easier and relationships easier to maintain—but they’re equally clear about what they don’t want to lose: time and space for the dreamers.

Some of their favorite clients are the early-stage stories: the husband-and-wife team who just bought their first CNC and leased a small bay; the young engineer who left a prime to start a tiny specialty shop; the second-generation family business navigating a transition. Being part of those journeys—watching them grow year over year, generation over generation—is one of the quiet privileges of their work.

Long-term partnership, not a drive-by audit

As the company has grown, Michaela can’t personally call every client each year. To preserve that connection, Kalos added a Client Account Manager whose job is to check in 45–60 days after an audit closes. By then, nonconformances are usually addressed, and emotions have cooled. The conversation becomes: Have there been changes we should know about? Do you feel supported? Would introductions to training programs, CMMC consultants, or

Kalos will happily audit large, complex organizations. But its heart is with the small and mid-sized shops that form the backbone of manufacturing in the West. Those are the companies that benefit most from auditors who understand the trenches, can offer realistic feedback, and won’t prescribe a million-dollar fix to a hundred-dollar problem.

In an industry where “audit day” can still feel like a visit from the quality police, Kalos is trying to rewrite the script. For Alex and Michaela, a good audit is one where the client learns something real about their system, the auditor leaves with a deeper understanding of the client’s world, and both sides feel respected, stretched, and on the same team.

That’s the heart of Kalos: a boutique certification body built by people who’ve lived the chaos of production schedules, last-minute customer demands, and the long nights before a big audit—people who still, genuinely, love this work.

Announcements & Press Releases Continuation

announcements fall outside this specific window, the news still indicates that Bell is shaping its production environment through program-driven workshare changes, backlog mix, and readiness narratives emphasizing supply chain and production risk. In practice, industrializing a new aircraft requires stabilizing the bill of process, locking down specialprocess capability, and ensuring suppliers can maintain traceability and consistent quality at higher volumes.

For manufacturing partners—especially those providing machining, heat treat, and other special processes—the key takeaway is that MV-75 is transitioning from program concept to industrial reality. That shift typically increases demand for repeatable, auditable process control, because in accelerated defense programs, quality escapes are catastrophic and rework schedules are unforgiving.

Anduril Scales Production of Autonomous Platforms.

Anduril’s manufacturing-relevant news in this date range focused on the shift from prototype-scale autonomy to repeatable production—signaled most clearly by Reuters coverage of Anduril opening an Australian factory to build

“Ghost Shark” undersea drones. For a company known for rapid iteration, establishing a dedicated production footprint is a meaningful step: it indicates that customer demand is moving beyond limited demonstrations toward sustained builds, spares, and lifecycle support. That transition is where “defense technology” becomes “defense manufacturing,” with all the accompanying requirements for documentation, configuration control, and acceptance testing.

The factory narrative also reflects growing defense emphasis on supply-chain localization and sovereign capability. Allied customers increasingly care about where systems are built, how quickly they can be replenished, and whether supply chains are resilient under geopolitical stress. Building in Australia aligns with those priorities and positions Anduril to deliver regionally while meeting partner-nation expectations for local industrial participation.

Manufacturing-wise, undersea drones create a demanding integration problem: structural housings and pressuretolerant components, propulsion and power systems, electronics, and software integration must all be assembled repeatably and tested rigorously. Scaling production means converting tacit prototype practices into stable work instructions, tightening sealing/waterproofing processes, standardizing acceptance-test methods, and

One of the most compelling demonstrations of this ambition comes from the company’s New Glenn rocket, a heavy-lift orbital vehicle engineered to carry large payloads — including NASA science missions — into space. In November 2025, Blue Origin achieved a significant milestone when the New Glenn successfully launched a pair of NASA’s **ESCAPADE spacecraft destined for Mars orbit and then completed a controlled return and landing of its first-stage booster on a drone barge in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the first time the massive booster had been recovered after orbit insertion, overcoming technical challenges that prevented landing on its maiden January flight.

Vertical recovery of a rocket’s first stage is crucial to reusability because it allows engineers to inspect, refurbish, and re-fly major rocket hardware — drastically reducing launch costs over time. This technique, pioneered at scale by rival SpaceX, has now been demonstrated by Blue Origin with New Glenn, positioning the company as one of the few in the world capable of such feats.

ensuring that vendor networks can produce consistent quality with traceability. Undersea systems also face harsh environments, so reliability and testing discipline are central to the manufacturing system—not optional “later” steps.

In late 2025, the practical takeaway is that Anduril is investing in physical industrial footprint, not just product concepts. Such moves often precede further industrial announcements: workforce growth, supplier qualification drives, and follow-on orders that demand improved cadence. For suppliers, these ramps can be attractive because they frequently require tight tolerance work, specialty materials, and flexible capacity—though volatility can remain high as designs mature and requirements evolve. Still, the factory opening is a clear marker that Anduril is positioning to manufacture autonomy at meaningful scale.

Blue Origin Achieves Significant Breakthrough

Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, has steadily advanced its vision of reusable spaceflight—a concept once relegated to science fiction that is now becoming reality. Built on the principle that rockets shouldn’t be single-use, Blue Origin’s program focuses on lowering the cost of access to space by flying rockets that can successfully return to Earth and fly again.

New Glenn’s success has important implications beyond business. By proving reusability works for heavy-lift orbital missions, Blue Origin paves the way for more sustainable launch operations and broader participation in space exploration — from scientific missions studying Mars to future human ventures to the Moon and beyond.

Long before New Glenn, Blue Origin’s smaller New Shepard suborbital rockets were routinely landing back at their Texas launch site after carrying passengers to the edge of space — demonstrating the company’s core reusable technology in action for years and helping normalize commercial human spaceflight.

As Blue Origin continues refining its reusable systems, each successful landing marks not just a return to Earth, but another step toward a future where space travel is routine, sustainable, and increasingly accessible.

L3 Harris Makes Significant Investment into Manufacturing Facility

L3Harris Technologies is moving to significantly scale U.S. rocket propulsion capacity with a $400 million investment to expand solid rocket motor manufacturing in Camden, Arkansas—a project the company and state officials are framing as a major step toward strengthening the domestic missile industrial base.

According to reporting on the announcement, the expansion centers on a new 110-acre production campus that will include more than 20 buildings and is expected to increase large solid rocket motor output by roughly sixfold. That kind of step-change matters because large motors are key inputs for modern air and missile defense architectures and are

increasingly used in missiles, interceptors, and hypersonic systems.

The investment comes as demand for rocket motors has surged amid continuing global tensions and the push by the U.S. and allies to rebuild and expand inventories of precision weapons and defensive interceptors. Reuters noted that L3Harris’ move aligns with broader efforts to accelerate missile-defense capacity and respond to higher consumption rates of munitions seen in recent conflicts.

Camden is already a long-standing propulsion hub. L3Harris—through its Aerojet Rocketdyne business—has operated in the area since 1979, and the site currently produces over 115,000 rocket motors annually across multiple sizes and applications. The new campus is intended to add capacity for medium and large motors, complementing earlier facility buildouts geared more toward smaller tactical systems.

Company statements also place the Arkansas build within a broader, multi-site propulsion investment strategy. In prior announcements, L3Harris described plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars across major rocket motor locations (including Arkansas) to support expanded solid rocket motor output, emphasizing workforce development and state-local partnerships as key enablers.

Continue on Page 28

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The Year Ahead with A2Z Magazine

By Charlie and Alex Hushek

As the new owners, we are honored to carry forward a publication that has served the manufacturing community for more than 20 years.

Our commitment is simple: preserve what makes A2Z trusted — and strengthen the areas that help our advertisers succeed.

In just our first month, we launched a completely redesigned website at www.A2Zmanufacturing.com.

This update reflects the direction we are heading: modern, easy to navigate, and built to increase visibility for our advertisers while delivering even stronger content to our readers. Much like the manufacturing world, A2Z is evolving — not away from its roots, but forward in a way that supports today’s needs.

Over the next few months, we will continue rolling out new digital tools and community features that will expand industry engagement and help ensure your message reaches the right audience across multiple platforms.

Honoring the Legacy of A2Z

We want to express our sincere gratitude to Kim and Linda, whose passion and hard work shaped this publication for more than two decades. Their foundation is what allows us to build the next chapter, and we are committed to upholding the mission they established.

2026 Email Marketing Expansion

Starting in 2026, A2Z will be greatly expanding its email marketing capabilities. Every issue will now be emailed directly to our full subscriber list, giving your advertisements both print and digital visibility with each publication.

We have also brought inhouse email marketing specialists to help optimize performance and ensure your ad dollars go further in the digital space.

In the new year, we will introduce several new email-based advertising opportunities, including:

• Dedicated email features

• Featured stories

• Content blocks

• Logo or business-highlight placements

These additions are designed to give advertisers more ways to expand reach and strengthen brand visibility. More details will be shared in early 2026.

Convenient New Billing and Planning Tools

As part of our modernization, we will be shifting from physical invoices to digital QuickBooks invoices, where you can conveniently pay by ACH or credit card.

We are also introducing more streamlined internal processes for advertisers. Soon, all advertisers will use an insertion form system, which will help clarify run schedules, improve communication, and ensure every advertisement receives consistent, high-quality placement.

Design Support Now Available

We are thrilled to welcome a professional graphic designer to the A2Z team. If your ad could use a refresh—or if you need help building new creative from scratch—we’re here to support you. Clean, compelling design helps improve visibility and response, and this service is now available to all advertisers. Contact us as advertising@a2zmanufacturing. com to learn more.

New LinkedIn Support for Advertisers

To expand your reach beyond the magazine, we will be offering LinkedIn posting services to highlight our advertisers and Wincrease your digital presence starting in the new year. This is a simple way to complement your print

and digital advertising with additional online exposure. We also invite you to follow our LinkedIn page and share it with your network. Every new follower helps amplify the reach of your message across the manufacturing community.

Referral Savings

To thank you for helping grow the A2Z community, we are offering a one-time 10% discount on any cover story or advertisement for each referral who signs on.

Print Advertising Remains One of the Most Effective Ways to Reach Manufacturers

Recent research from the Baxter Research Center continues to show the strength of niche print publications:

• 75% of readers spend 30+ minutes with each issue

• 80% revisit the same issue multiple times — often 3 or more

• 75% keep an issue for at least a month, increasing ad visibility far beyond a single read

• Print readers are 37% more likely to pay attention to

advertisements than online audiences

For manufacturing professionals—who value trust, credibility, and clarity—print remains one of the most powerful ways to reach decision-makers.

Looking Ahead

Our vision is to honor A2Z’s longstanding mission while elevating the value of every ad dollar you invest. We are excited for the road ahead, and we are committed to ensuring that your partnership with A2Z continues to yield strong, reliable results.

If you have any questions about upcoming changes, expanded opportunities, or ways we can better support your marketing plans, please reach out anytime. We are here for you.

A2Z Manufacturing (480) 395-3288 connect@a2zmanufacturing.com a2zmanufacturing.com

Announcements & Press Releases Continuation

With construction and capacity additions underway, the Arkansas expansion positions L3Harris to compete for—and deliver on—an intensifying pipeline of U.S. and allied missile, interceptor, and hypersonic programs where propulsion is often the pacing constraint.

TransDigm/Stellant Systems acquisition

TransDigm Group Incorporated, a major U.S. aerospace components manufacturer, announced on December 31, 2025 that it has agreed to acquire Stellant Systems, Inc. in an all-cash deal worth approximately $960 million (including certain tax benefits). The transaction, expected to close in 2026 pending customary regulatory approvals, represents another strategic move by TransDigm to deepen its presence in the aerospace, defense, and space markets by expanding its portfolio of high-margin, proprietary products.

Stellant, headquartered in Torrance, California, is a designer and manufacturer of high-power electronic components and subsystems that serve critical aerospace and defense platforms, including commercial aircraft, satellites, and

military systems.

The company operates multiple manufacturing facilities across the United States — in California, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts — and employs roughly 950 people. It is projected to generate around $300 million in revenue for 2025, with about 50 % of that coming from aftermarket sales of proprietary products — a segment known for recurring demand and pricing power.

TransDigm’s CEO highlighted that Stellant’s engineered, proprietary technologies and strong aftermarket presence align well with TransDigm’s long-standing strategy of acquiring niche suppliers whose products are embedded in long-lived aerospace and defense platforms. Aftermarketrich businesses tend to provide more stable and predictable revenue streams, an important factor in TransDigm’s acquisition playbook.

Industry analysts view the purchase as consistent with TransDigm’s broader growth objectives, even as some caution that the deal could be margin dilutive in the near term due to acquisition costs. However, the longterm rationale rests on expanding market share across

mission-critical applications and bolstering TransDigm’s position in electronics for defense, space, and satellite systems — areas with rising demand for sophisticated electronic components.

This acquisition underscores ongoing consolidation in aerospace and defense manufacturing, as major suppliers look to broaden capabilities and secure recurring aftermarket revenues amid robust global demand for advanced aerospace and defense technologies.

Space Forge inspace semiconductor manufacturing

In December 2025, UK aerospace startup Space Forge achieved a major milestone in the emerging field of in-space manufacturing by successfully activating a hightemperature furnace aboard its ForgeStar-1 satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The microwave-sized orbital factory reached temperatures of approximately 1,000 °C (1,832 °F) and generated visible plasma, demonstrating a core capability needed to fabricate semiconductor materials in space — something that has never before been done on a free-flying commercial platform.

Space Forge’s mission stems from the idea that microgravity and the near-perfect vacuum of space offer unique advantages for materials manufacturing that are difficult or impossible to achieve on Earth. In a weightless environment, atoms can align into highly ordered threedimensional crystal structures with far fewer defects.

The absence of atmospheric contaminants also reduces imperfections during growth processes. According to the company, semiconductors produced

MILL S & THRILL S

in orbit could be up to 4,000 times purer than those made on Earth — a step change that could significantly improve performance in applications like 5G infrastructure, electric vehicle charging systems, advanced aerospace electronics, and computing platforms.

The ForgeStar-1 mission, launched earlier in 2025 aboard a SpaceX rideshare flight, served as a technology demonstrator designed to validate the fundamental systems required for orbital manufacturing. Space Forge engineers monitored operations from mission control in Cardiff, Wales, and confirmed that the satellite’s furnace could create and maintain the extreme thermal environment needed to support semiconductor fabrication research.

This achievement places Space Forge at the forefront of commercial space manufacturing, illustrating a tangible step toward turning long-held aspirations of off-world production into reality.

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Continually Growing the Value of Your Business

By Lee Benson

Hello, I am Lee Benson, the CEO of Execute to Win, and Dinner Table.

From 1993 to 2016, I had one job as CEO of Able Aerospace: grow the value of the business. Everything else was secondary.

I started Able with three people in a 5,000-square-foot facility, focusing on a single electroplating process. When we sold to Textron Aviation 23 years later for nine figures, we had over 500 team members operating out of 300,000 square feet of space. We’d gone from 7 repairs for helicopter drivetrain components to over 10,000.

As we grew, people asked, “How are you doing this?”

The answer was simple: I never forgot my number one job.

I learned that you could start from anywhere and go everywhere if you stay focused on creating value. Looking back ten years later, keeping the business would have been just as good a decision as selling it. We’d have more than doubled it by now.

I’ve started eight companies from scratch and sold three of them. I love working with teams to grow value in any industry. These days, I also lead CEO mastermind groups with leaders running everything from startups to large established businesses.

Why am I writing this column? Because I want to help organizations create value faster.

Effective leadership should be measured by the value it creates. I focus on three areas: profit, culture, and customer experience. Get these right, and the business grows. Get them wrong, and nothing else matters.

My definition of leadership is straightforward: creating value with and through others.

By that definition, everyone is a leader. The real question is whether you want to elevate your game.

For leaders within an organization, the standard is higher: get results while fostering an environment where every team member is intrinsically motivated and empowered to create more value over time. As leaders, we create the environment. Our teams do the work. All of that work should be aimed at increasing the business’s value.

This isn’t theoretical. At Able Aerospace, we lived it. Every person understood how their work created value. Our platers knew they weren’t just coating parts, they were enabling helicopter operators to keep aircraft flying safely. Our engineers weren’t just writing repair procedures; they were solving problems that kept customers’ operations running. That connection between daily work and value creation made the difference.

The manufacturing sector needs this mindset now more than ever. You’re competing globally. Margins are tight. Labor is expensive and hard to find. Technology is changing fast. The companies that win are obsessed with creating value, not just for shareholders, but for customers, team members, and communities.

It’s simple, but it’s not easy. It requires clarity about where you’re going, alignment on how you’ll get there, structure to ensure sustainability, and culture to ensure it sticks.

Next issue, I’ll dig into the power of strategy, what actually qualifies as a strategic initiative, and how to connect your entire team to supporting it.

Across

3. A methodology focused on minimizing waste and maximizing productivity. 5. Computer Numerical Control (Abbreviation).

Down

1. A strong alloy of iron and carbon; a common raw material.

2. The complete list of items or raw materials currently in stock.

8. An automated machine often used for assembly or pick-and-place tasks.

9. The "Q" in QA/QC; ensuring the product meets standards.

11. A rotating machine part having cut teeth which mesh with another part to transmit torque.

13. A device that uses a focused beam of light to cut or engrave materials.

14. A machine tool used to remove material from a workpiece using rotary cutters.

15. A machine that rotates a workpiece to perform cutting, sanding, or knurling.

(Answer Key found on page 47)

4. The preliminary model of something, from which other forms are developed or copied.

6. A technical drawing or design plan.

7. To join two pieces of metal together using high heat.

10. A tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners.

12. Glasses, gloves, and steel-toed boots are essential for this.

Get to Know the New Owners of A2Z

By Charlie Hushek

First and foremost, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Linda and Kim for their many years of tireless work championing American manufacturing. Their leadership, commitment, and relationships built within our community have laid the foundation for the magazine’s success, and we are honored to continue their legacy.

The first thing we want to assure you of in this transition is our commitment to maintaining and building on the mission and vision that Kim and Linda have cultivated these last 20 years. The A2Z Manufacturing mission stands strong: “A2Z Manufacturing Magazine informs, connects, and champions American manufacturers, by delivering impactful content, showcasing success stories, and promoting technological advancement in precision manufacturing.” We remain focused on the same vision “To be the leading voice and connector for precision manufacturing in the Western United States.” And we will continue these core values that have made this brand successful, such as Championing American Manufacturing, Inform & Inspire, Community & Connection, Innovation & Adaptability. We will keep all these values in mind while we shape the brand for the next 20+ years!

In practice, this looks like celebrating and elevating U.S. manufacturers, innovators, and workforce contributors. It is fostering a strong, collaborative network across the regional manufacturing landscape while evolving with our industry, embracing new media and technologies. It is our goal to continually better serve our audience, while providing timely, relevant, and actionable insights to educate and energize our readers.

We’re excited to bring fresh ideas to each publication, including new columns and recurring features designed to drive deeper reader engagement. One such feature will be a standard column on leadership and culture—this new columnist had a 9-digit manufacturing exit. Check him out on page 66 of this issue!

We are also excited to announce that in 2026 we will have our first 40 under 40 issue highlighting some of the best and brightest in the industry. We look forward to our communities’ submissions.

I will take this opportunity to introduce ourselves.

Alexandra Hushek (Managing Partner & Editor-in-Chief) has spent the last 8 years in marketing, and the most recent 2 years working in the marketing and branding space supporting a custom home builder. Having worked closely with design she helped bring their ideas to life through digital media campaigns, web development, and overall digital integration across their brands. As Editor and Chief, she will play an integral role in formatting the magazine, leading the digital strategy, and working hand in hand with our advertisers.

For myself, I have spent the last 8 years working in manufacturing, however I grew up in and around Phoenix Heat Treating.

Today I serve as the President of Phoenix Heat Treating and Mesa Custom Machining, both of which are family owned and operated manufacturers in Arizona. Preserving and enhancing legacy is important to me, which is why maintaining the magic of a company even during transition is my focus. As Executive Publisher of A2Z Manufacturing Magazine, I will spend my time exploring ways to provide more value to the readers as well as our advertising partners.

Lastly, we also invite you to follow and share our official LinkedIn page with your network. This step will help amplify the exposure of our valued sponsors and connect our print presence to a vibrant digital community.

We are thankful and energized to take the baton from Kim and Linda, and we are excited for what lies ahead.

Sincerely,

Charlie Hushek Managing Partner & Executive Publisher A2Z Manufacturing Magazine

Buyer’s Guide & Card Gallery Equipment and Services

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Carbide Tools, Indexable

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Hainbuch America

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Cutting Tool Systems

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Desert EDM 480-816-6300

EDM Network_________480-836-1782

EDM Performance 800-336-2946

End Mills

ARNO USA____________815-236-8118

D&D Precision Tool_______279-240-6143

Horizon Carbide_______602-524-3802

Sulli Tool & Supply 714-863-6019

Filiter Mist Collectors

Royal Products_______631-273-1010

Fixturing

Hainbuch America______253-293-2062

LANG TECHNIK-USA. 949-750-7372

Form Tooling

THINBIT

888-844-6248

Grooving Head, Grooving Tools

Cycle Time Solutions 510-708-8665

THINBIT ____________ 888-844-6248

Indexible Tools

SCT-USA.___________805-584-9495

Industrial Hardware

LANG TECHNIK-USA. 949-750-7372

Inserts

ARNO USA____________815-236-8118

Horizon Carbide_______602-524-3802

Sulli Tool & Supply______714-863-6019

Jaws

EDM Network________480-836-1782

LANG TECHNIK-USA. 949-750-7372

US Shop Tools________800-243-7701

Keyseat Cutters

Sulli Tool & Supply 714-863-6019

Lifting & Material Handling

Ingersoll Rand 206-472-0826

Live Centers

Royal Products 631-273-1010

Load Unload Systems

Midaco Corporation 847-593-8420

Lubricants / Systems

Admiral Metalworking Fluids 844-263-5843

Star Metal Fluids 800-367-9966

Machine Tool Acccessories

US Shop Tools 800-243-7701

Mandrels

Hainbuch America 253-293-2062

Mounting Brackets

Lucy’s Machine Company 323-587-6162

Packaging/Shipping Supplies

Alliance Packaging ______ 206-445-5898-

Parts Washing Equipment

Ebbco Inc 800-809-3901

Port Tools

SCT-USA. 805-584-9495

Power Tools

KBC TOOLS & Machinery____714-278-0500

Precision Bearings

C & M Precision Spindle, Inc._ 503-691-0955

Probing Systems

Sherpa Design_ 503-771-3570

Profiling

THINBIT

888-844-6248

Punch Die Tooling

Dayton Lamina. 708-203-6684

Quick Change Systems

Hainbuch Workholding____818-970-7874

Resharpening End Mills & Drills

D&D Precision Tool_______279-240-6143

Sindle Point Tools

SCT-USA. 805-584-9495

Solvents: Vapor degreasing

Admiral Metalworking Fluids

844-263-5843

Star Metal Fluids _______ 800-367-9966

Solvents:Hand Wipe

Admiral Metalworking Fluids 844-263-5843

Star Metal Fluids 800-367-9966

Solvents: Mil PRF 680

Hainbuch Workholding____818-970-7874

SCT-USA.

THINBIT

Threading Thread Mills

805-584-9495

888-844-6248

Tooling Columns/Tombstones

LANG TECHNIK-USA.

949-750-7372

Tool Sharpening (Grinding)

Applications Specialities

Swift Tool Co, Inc.

AJAC

AJAC

AJAC

253-872-0305

800-562-0900

Tooling Systems

Applications Specialities

Cycle Time Solutions

Horizon Carbide

Rosco Precision Machinery

RyansDovetails.com

Sulli Tool & Supply

206-737-8342

Precision Metal Fabrication Apprenticeships

206-737-8342

Training & Education

206-737-8342

ADDITIVE MFG/3D PRINTING

Bramac Machinery, Inc.

951-383-4195

MLC-CAD 858-358-0067

APPRAISALS

ENGINEERING/DESIGN

Mechanical Design

FEA Analysis

Andreas Engineering, Inc. 623-451-0394

THOMPSON MACHINE. 505-823-1453

Reverse Engineering

Andreas Engineering, Inc. 623-451-0394

THOMPSON MACHINE. 505-823-1453

FINANCING EQUIPMENT

Tech Financial Services 414-224-0209

Zeiss Industrial Metrology 800-327-9735

Coordinate Measuring Mach.

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

253-872-0305

510-708-8665

602-524-3802

253-333-2439

253-876-9981

714-863-6019

Spinetti Machinery ______ 775-996-3770

THINBIT

888-844-6248

Von Ruden Manufacturing, Inc. 763-682--3122

Western Sintering

509-375-3096

Tumbling Meda and Compounds

ALMCO

507-380-1009

Vibratory Deburrung Bowls

ALMCO

ALMCO

507-380-1009

Vibratory Deburrung Tubs

507-380-1009

Vises & Vise Jaws

LANG TECHNIK-USA. ______ 949-750-7372

Workholding

Cycle Time Solutions

510-708-8665

LANG TECHNIK-USA. 949-750-7372

APPRENTICESHIPS & TRAINING

Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeships

AJAC

206-737-8342

Machining Apprenticeships

Machinery Resources 480-694-9919

Perfection Global 847-545-6906

AUCTIONS/LIQUIDATIONS

Machinery Resources 480-694-9919

Perfection Global 847-545-6906

BANKING

Quick Turn Financial _____ 415-608-5692

Tech Financial Services ____ 414-224-0209

Valley Financial Services ___ 818-968-4861

BUSINESS ADVISORS

Muerller Prost 314-862-2070

CARRIERS & RIGGING

IRH Carriers & Rigging 435-230-1779

CNC PROGRAMING TRAINING

MLC-CAD 858-358-0067

DESIGN CAD CAM

Andreas Engineering, Inc. 623-451-0394

TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURABILITY

3-D Plastics, Inc. 503-720-0572

Andreas Engineering, Inc. 623-451-0394

DOOR SYSTEMS

Automatic Door opening Systems

Midaco Corporation 847-593-8420

Valley Financial Services___818-968-4861

GARNET

BARTON 800-741-7756

Grinding Filtration

Grinding Machines

Bramac Machinery, Inc. 951-383-4195

Ellison Technologies 206-669-3578

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

North-South Machinery 562-690-7616

Performance Machine Tools ___ 510-249-1000

Guard & Vacuum Pedestals For Grinders

Midaco Corporation 847-593-8420

Grinders, Rotary

Bramac Machinery, Inc. 951-383-4195

Industrial Surface Grinders

Bramac Machinery, Inc. 951-383-4195

INSPECTION EQUIP

HS&S Machine Tool _______ 408-472-2436

Hexagon 206-304-3847

King Machine Inc. 509-435-6741

Rosco Precision Machinery __ 206-818-6813

Zeiss Industrial Metrology 800-327-9735

Zeiss Industrial Metrology 800-327-9735

Laser Trackers

Metrology Instruments

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

Hexagon 206-304-3847

OGP 480-889-9056

Zeiss Industrial Metrology __ 800-327-9735

Optical Comparators

Hexagon 206-304-3847

Zeiss Industrial Metrology_800-327-9735

INSURANCE

Business Insurance Solutions

Sentry Insurance 877-373-6879

LASER & FIBER LASER MACHINES

MarkinBox 310-214-3367

MACHINERY/MACHINE TOOLS

Additive Manufacturing

3D Machines

Production Machine Tools, Inc. 425-881-1200

Boring Mills

Rosco Precision Machine ry 253-333-2439

Bridgeport Parts

Desert EDM 480-816-6300

CNC Controls & Retro Fits

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

CNC Lathes

Desert EDM 480-816-6300

Ellison Technologies 206-669-3578

Expand Machinery 818-349-9166

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

Machinery Resources 480-694-9919

Romi Machine Tools, Ltd 480-510-4146

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

3 , 4, & 5 Axis CNC Mills

Desert EDM 480-816-6300

Ellison Technologies____206-669-3578

Expand Machinery_____818-349-9166

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

Machinery Resources 480-694-9919

Production Machine Tools, Inc. 425-881-1200

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

CNC 3 & 5 Axis Routing Machines

Ellison Technologies 206-669-3578

CNC Slant Bed Turning Centers

Expand Machinery 818-349-9166

CNC Swiss Turn Machines

Ellison Technologies 206-669-3578

Machinery Resources 480-694-9919

Machinery Resources 480-694-9919

Methods Machine Tools Inc. 714-292-9384

Dot Peen Markers

Kwik Mark Inc 815-363-8268

EDM Automation

EDM Die Sinking Machines

EDM Network_________480-836-1782

EDM Filtration

EDM Network 480-836-1782

EDM Machines

EDM Network 480-836-1782

HS&S Machine Tool _______ 408-472-2436

EDM Drilling & Micro Hole Machines

Current EDM, Inc.

612-840-0037

EDM Network_________480-836-1782

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

EDM Service

EDM Network 480-836-1782

EDM Tooling Systems

EDM Network 480-836-1782

Equipment Financing

Pacific Continental Bank 503-310-3604

Scottrade Bank Equip. Finance_ 206-948-0022

U.S. Bank Equipment 800-810-0038

Gantry & Bridge Systems

Ellison Technologies 206-669-3578

HS&S Machine Tool _______ 408-472-2436

Horizontal Boring & Milling Machines (CNC )

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

Jig Boring

Methods Machine Tools Inc. 714-292-9384

Lathes

CNC Machine Services 206-999-3232

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

King Machine Inc. ________ 509-435-6741

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

Spinetti Machinery 775-996-3770

Summit Machine Tool 800-654-3262

Laser Marking Machines

Spinetti Machinery 775-996-3770

Manual Mills And Lathes

Ganesh Machinery_______818-349-9166

HS&S Machine Tool 408-472-2436

KNUTH Machine Tools

847-415-3333

Machine Toolworks 800-426-2052

North Western Machinery 206-583-2333

Sharp Machine Tool 310-944-8016

Summit Machine Tool 800-654-3262

Swift Tool Co, Inc. 800-562-0900

Parts Washing

Gosiger 937-586-5067

Robotics & Automatics

Ganesh Machinery______818-349-9166

Saw Lubricants

Saw Service Of WA 360-738-6437

Saws & Replacement Parts

North-South Machinery 562-690-7616

Performance Machine Tools 510-249-1000

Rosco Precision Machinery 206-818-6813

Saw Service Of WA 360-738-6437

Sub-Spindle Lathe

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

Swiss Screw Machines

Spinetti Machinery______775-996-3770

Turning Centers

Spinetti Machinery______775-996-3770

Used Wire EDM Machines

Current EDM, Inc. 612-840-0037

Desert EDM 480-816-6300

EDM Network 480-836-1782

MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT

LANG Technik USA 949-750-7372

MASTERCAM TRAINING/SALES

MLC-CAD 858-358-0067

MATERIAL

Aluminum

Bralco ______________ 602-722-3324

Coast Aluminum 877-398-6061

DIX Metals 714-677-0788

Fry Steel 800-423-6651

Gorilla Metals Inc. 855-516-3825

Industrial Metal Supply Co. __ 818-729-3333

Ryerson Corporation

425-204-2601

Sunshine Metals 760-579-8327

Aluminum Extrusions

Aluminum Precision 805-889-7569

Bralco 602-722-3324

Armor:Commercial

Kloeckner

Armor: Military Grade

Brass

Bralco

602-722-3324

Sequoia Brass & Copper 800-362-5255

Bralco

602-722-3324

Coastal Metals 800-811-7466

Fry Steel 800-423-6651

Laser Cutting Services, Inc 503-612-8311

Ryerson Corporation 425-204-2601

Cobalt Alloys

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292 Copper

Bralco

602-722-3324

Coast Aluminum 877-398-6061

Gorilla Metals Inc. 855-516-3825

Industrial Metal Supply Co. 818-729-3333

Ryerson Corporation 425-204-2601

Sequoia Brass & Copper 800-362-5255

PHONE (818) 729-3333 fax (818) 729-3377 suNvallE y@IMsMETals.COM www.INdusTrIalMETalsuPPly.COM

Electrical Steels

Fry Steel

800-423-6651

High Temperature Alloys

Altemp Alloys

729-3333 fax (818) 729-3377

suNvallE y@IMsMETals.COM www.INdusTrIalMETalsuPPly.COM

800-227-8103

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292

Laser Cut Material

Laser Cutting Services, Inc

Lead

Industrial Metal Supply Co.

Altemp Alloys

503-612-8311

Ryerson Corporation 425-204-2601

Stainless Steel & Steel

Bralco 602-722-3324

PHONE

Fry Steel 800-423-665

Gorilla Metals Inc. 855-516-3825

Industrial Metal Supply Co. 818-729-3333

Kloeckner Metals 480-389-2883

Laser Cutting Services, Inc 503-612-8311

Ryerson Corporation 425-204-2601

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292

Titanium Plate, Rod, Bar, & Wire

Bralco 602-722-3324

Bystronic 702-340-6964

North-South Machinery 562-690-7616

Perfection Global 847-545-6906

Sterling Fab Tech 855-222-708

Automation-Bending

Bystronic 702-340-6964

Band & Cut Off Saws

North-South Machinery 562-690-7616

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Sterling Fab Tech 855-222-708

CNC Turret Punches

Sterling Fab Tech 855-222-708

North-South Machinery

562-690-7616

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Welding Equipment

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Shipping Solutions

Perry Pallet Co. 360-366-5239

Tube Processing

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Bystronic 702-340-6964

Material Sales

Coast Aluminum

Coastal Metals

Fry Steel

Kloeckner Metals

818-729-3333

PHONE (818) 729-3333 fax (818) 729-3377

suNvallE y@IMsMETals.COM www.INdusTrIalMETalsuPPly.COM

800-227-8103

877-398-6061

800-811-7466

800-423-6651

480-389-2883

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292

Metals: Bar & Plate

Altemp Alloys

Fry Steel

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292

Tool Steel

Industrial Metal Supply Co. 818-729-3333

CNC MASTERCAM TRAINING

Streamingteacher.com

METAL MARKING SYSTEMS

MarkinBox 310-214-3367

METROLOGY PRODUCTS

Hexagon____________ 206-304-3847

800-227-8103

800-423-665

Ryerson Corporation 425-204-2601

Sequoia Brass & Copper

800-362-5255

Sunshine Metals 760-579-8327

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292

Nickel Alloys

Altemp Alloys

Fry Steel

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

Metrology Hardware

Hexagon 206-304-3847

Metrology Software

Hexagon 206-304-3847

Portable Metrology

800-227-8103

800-423-6651

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292

Plate: Wear and Structural

Kloeckner Metals

480-389-2883

Ryerson Corporation 425-204-2601

United Performance Metals _888-282-3292

Sheet & Coil

Hexagon 206-304-3847

Metrology Scanners

Hexagon____________ 206-304-3847

Metrology Maintenence

Hexagon 206-304-3847

NEW & USED MACHINERY

FABRICATION

Automation-Laser

Cold Saw Machines

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

North-South Machinery 562-690-7616

Laser & Fiber Laser Machines

Bystronic 702-340-6964

North-South Machinery 562-690-7616

BLM GROUP USA _______ 248-560-0080

Magnetic Drills/Cutters

Innovative Tool Sales ______ 714-780-0730

Material Handling Systems

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Metal Marking Systems

Kwik Mark Inc 815-363-8268

MarkinBox 310-214-3367

Plasma/Gas Cutting Tools/Systems

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Plate Bending & Rolls

Bystronic 702-340-6964

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Press Brakes

Bystronic ___________ 702-340-6964

North-South Machinery 562-690-7616

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

Shearing Machines

Productivity

BMSC______________

602-445-9400

BMSC______________ 602-445-9400

REAL ESTATE- COMMERCIAL

Capacity Commercial Group 503-326-9000

REPAIR

CNC-PROS

Acieta

ROBOTICS

602-344-9753

402-650-8132

Ellison Technologies 206-669-3578

Expand Machinery______818-349-9166

LMI Machinery Inc.

866-437-7315

Ready-Robotics_________833-732-3967

Olympus Controls________503-582-8100

Robotic Part Loading Systems

Acieta 402-650-8132

Midaco Corporation 847-593-8420

Ready-Robotics__________833-732-3967

Olympus Controls_________503-582-8100

ROBOTIC AUTOMATION/

ROBOTIC INTEGRATION

Acieta 402-650-8132

Midaco Corporation

847-593-8420

ROBOTIC PRODUCTS

Cobots

Acieta 402-650-8132

Fanuc Robots

Acieta 402-650-8132

Gripper Systems

Acieta ___________ 402-650-8132

Robotic Welding Cells

Acieta ___________ 402-650-8132

ROBOT MAINTENANCE

Acieta ___________ 402-650-8132

ROBOT TRAINING

Acieta 402-650-8132

ROUTERS

Rosco Precision Machinery 253-333-2439

SHOT PEEN MARKING

Shot Peen

MarkinBox 310-214-3367

SAWS

Cold Saw Machines

BLM GROUP USA 248-560-0080

SERVICES

AS9100 Registration

Great Western Registrar 623-580-1881

Custom Packaging/Shipping

Supplies

Alliance Packaging 206-445-5898-

Engineering/Mechanical Design

Sherpa Design_ 503-771-3570

Financial Services

Intech Funding 800-553-9208

Quick Turn Financial 415-608-5692

Machine Tool Rebuilding

EDM Network __________ 480-836-1782

Management Systems Training

BMSC______________ 602-445-9400

SOFTWARE CAD CAM

SOLIDWORKS/MASTERCAM

Andreas Engineering, Inc.

623-451-0394

MLC-CAD 858-358-0067

Spinetti Machinery

775-996-3770 TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

Mechanical Design

Andreas Engineering, Inc. __ 623-451-0394

MLC-CAD 858-358-0067

SPINDLES & SLIDES

Spindle Rebuilding/Repair C & M Precision Spindle, Inc._ 503-691-0955

SURPLUS ASSET MANAGEMENT

Perfection Global 847-545-6906

TORQUE WRENCH ADAPTORS

Martin Precision Tools

TRAINING

408-634-0962

ISO Consulting/Registration

BMSC______________ 602-445-9400

Lean and NADCAP Consulting Training

BMSC______________ 602-445-9400

ISO / AS9100 Certification

ASSEMBLIES

Campbell Prototyping

CJ Precision Machine, Inc.

SMH Inc LLC

415-717-6066

208-696-8515

360-341-2226

BENDING

Mandrel

Albina Co., Inc.

Aeroform, Inc.

866-252-4628

360-403-1919

Speciality Bending

Albina Co., Inc.

Bending Solutions, Inc.

866-252-4628

360-651-2443

Structrual Bending

Albina Co., Inc.

866-252-4628

Tube and Pipe Bending

Albina Co., Inc.

Buyer’s Guide & Card Gallery Processes

Brazing:

Bolts Metalizing-CWST______602-244-2432

BROACHING

Evans Precision

623-582-4776

Ponderosa Ind _______303-298-1801

Specialty Steel Services 801-539-8252

CASTING

Andreas Engineering, Inc.

623-451-0394

Dolphin Investment Castings __ 602-272-6747

Investment Casting-Precision

Dolphin Investment Castings __ 602-272-6747

Precision Enterprises Inc. 851-797-1000

CHEMICAL ETCHING

CMR Manufacturing 602-273-0943

CONTRACT MANUFACTURING

UNITED PACIFIC ELECTRONICS 760-438-2375

CUTTING

Bar & Plate & Die Cutting AZ Tool Steel 877-795-1600

FLATLINE FAB

503-707-9272

Industrial Precision Grinding 310-352-4700

LASER CUTTING

FLATLINE FAB 503-707-9272

DEBURRING

Industrial Precision Grinding 310-352-4700

DENTAL TOOLING & FIXTURES

CJ Precision Machine, Inc. 208-696-8515

DESIGN

866-252-4628

BRAZING-JOINING

Cogitic

Evans Precision

PAS Technologies

Precision Casting Repair

719-473-8844

623-582-4776

602-744-2600

801-972-2345

PAS Technologies 602-744-2600

COATING

Bolts Metalizing-CWST______602-244-2432

COLD FORMING

ATF Aerospace, LLC.. 480-218-0918

Andreas Engineering, Inc. 623-451-0394 TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

DIE CASTING

SMH Inc LLC 360-341-2226 TVT Die

Andreas Engineering, Inc.

623-451-0394

TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

Vibration, Stress, Thermal Analysis Testing

TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

Extrusions

Plastic Extrusion Services

Inline Plastics Inc. 909-923-1033

FABRICATION

Architectural Forming & Fabrication

AERO TECH MFG, Inc.

801-335-3283

Weiser Engineering 303-280-2778

Fabrication: Custom Metal

AERO TECH MFG, Inc. 801-335-3283

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211

FLATLINE FAB __________ 503-707-9272

Group Mfg Serv 480-966-3952

Industrial Machine Svcs 503-240-0878

Precision Aerospace, LLC ____ 602-352-8658

SMH Inc LLC 360-341-2226

Weiser Engineering 303-280-2778

Wrico 480-892-7800

Forming & Fabrication

801-335-3283

Bending Solutions, Inc. 360-651-2443

503-707-9272

Industrial Thermoplastics

Cleveland Electric Labs. 330-697-4125

Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication: Medium & Large 360-403-1919

801-335-3283

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211 503-707-9272

Precision Aerospace, LLC 602-352-8658

QUAL-FAB, Inc. 206-762-2117

SMH Inc LLC ____________ 360-341-2226

Solid Form Fabrication 503-435-1400

Weiser Engineering ________ 303-280-2778

Tube & Pipe Bending Fabrication

Albina Co., Inc. 866-252-4628

Bending Solutions, Inc. 360-651-2443

FEA Analysis Service

Andreas Engineering, Inc. ___ 623-451-0394

FIBER OPTICS TESTING

Plating

DRY FILM LUBRICATION

Bolts Metalizing-CWST______602-244-2432

Leadtek Plating 503-682-4410

Galvanizing: Hot Dip TMM Precision 800-448-9448

Glass Bead Clean

Byington Steel Treating, Inc. 408-727-6630

Coating Technologies ______ 623-581-2648

Technologies 602-744-2600

Passivation

Campbell Prototyping _______ 415-717-6066

CJ Precision Machine, Inc.

208-696-8515

K-Mol Engineering 530-906-1705

Real Axis Machining 360-723-5386

GASKETS

3-D Plastics, Inc. 503-720-0572

GRINDING

ChemResearch 602-253-4175

Evans Precision 623-582-4776

Industrial Machine Svcs

801-487-9700

623-582-4776

310-352-4700

801-487-9700

435-635-1482

480-230-9525

970-667-5320

310-352-4700

800-234-5613

480-230-9525 1

970-667-5320

801-487-9700

StandardAero

602-744-2600

Superior Grinding 801-487-9700

Grinding: Tool & Cutter

Superior Grinding_________888-487-9701

Superior Grinding 801-487-9700

GUN DRILLING

Evans Precision 623-582-4776

HEAT TREATING

ABS Heat Treating_________602-437-3008

Phoenix Heat Treating 602-258-7751

Heat Treating/ISO/AS9100

ABS Heat Treating_________602-437-3008

Phoenix Heat Treating_______602-258-7751

Heat Treating/NADCAP

ABS Heat Treating_________602-437-3008

Dolphin Investment Castings 602-272-6747

Phoenix Heat Treating_______602-258-7751

Large Capacity Drop Bottom Oven/Aluminum

Dolphin Investment Castings 602-272-6747

MET-TEK Heat Treating______503-519-9864

Phoenix Heat Treating______602-258-7751

HONING/LAPPING

PAS Technologies 602-744-2600

Precision Aerospace, LLC 602-352-8658

Ron Grob Co 970-667-5320

SMH Inc LLC 360-341-2226

Industrial Thermocouples

Cleveland Electric Labs. 330-697-4125

JIGS & TOOLING

Campbell Prototyping 415-717-6066

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

Martin Precision Tools 408-634-0962

NW MACHINE LLC 425-870-0018

Machining: 5-Axis

Layke Inc.

503-240-0878

Industrial Precision Grinding 310-352-4700

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

Mountain View Machine 435-755-0500

Ron Grob Co 970-667-5320

Nexus Grinding

480-230-9525

Dolphin Investment Castings 602-272-6747

Evans Precision 623-582-4776

MET-TEK Heat Treating______503-519-9864

PAS Technologies 602-744-2600

Phoenix Heat Treating______602-258-7751

Cryogenics

602-272-2654

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

Precision Aerospace, LLC 602-352-8658

Machining: Ceramics Advanced O’Keefe Ceramics 719-687-0888

Machining: Proto-R & D

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211

Campbell Prototyping 415-717-6066

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

Ron Grob Co 970-667-5320

SMH Inc LLC 360-341-2226

TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

Machining: CNC Milling

Accutech Machine Inc 801-975-1117

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211

CJ Precision Machine, Inc. 208-696-8515

Grovtec US, Inc. 503-557-4689

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

Layke Inc.

Accutech Machine Inc 801-975-1117

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211

Machining: Aerospace/Space

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211

Cleveland Electric Labs. _____ 330-697-4125

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

602-272-2654

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

NW MACHINE LLC 425-870-0018

Precision Aerospace, LLC 602-352-8658

Ron Grob Co 970-667-5320

SMH Inc LLC 360-341-2226

TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

Machining: Large

American Precision Ind..

503-784-5211

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

Machining: Manual

NW MACHINE LLC

425-870-0018

Machining: Medical

American Precision Ind..

503-784-5211

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

NW MACHINE LLC

425-870-0018

Machining: Production

Accutech Machine Inc

American Precision Ind..

CJ Precision Machine, Inc.

Grovtec US, Inc.

801-975-1117

503-784-5211

208-696-8515

503-557-4689

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

Machining: Proto

Campbell Prototyping 415-717-6066

TURUL Engineering, Machining. 480-433-5387

Machining: Swiss

Grovtec US, Inc.

503-557-4689

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

Pacific Swiss & Manufacturing 503-557-9407

Machining: Turning

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211

ATF Aerospace, LLC.. 480-218-0918

CJ Precision Machine, Inc.

208-696-8515

Grovtec US, Inc. _________ 503-557-4689

Layke Inc. 602-272-2654

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

Ron Grob Co ___________ 970-667-5320

=SMH Inc LLC 360-341-2226

Machining: Ultra Precision

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

Pacific Swiss & Manufacturing 503-557-9407

Machining: Turning With Live Tooling

ATF Aerospace, LLC.. 480-218-0918

LV Swiss 435-635-1482

NW MACHINE LLC 425-870-0018

MANUFACTURING VALUE ADDED

Contract Manufacturing

Aeroform, Inc. 360-403-1919

Alpha Precision Machining, Inc. 253-395-7381

American Precision Ind.. 503-784-5211

Bending Solutions, Inc. 360-651-2443

CJ Precision Machine, Inc. 208-696-8515

Cleveland Electric Labs. 330-697-4125

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

LV Swiss _____________ 435-635-1482

Industrial Manufacturing

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

Aero Tech MFG 801-891-2740

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

MEDICAL TOOLING & FIXTURES

Campbell Prototyping 415-717-6066

CJ Precision Machine, Inc. 208-696-8515

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production 720-798-6221

METALIZING

Controlled Thermal Tech 602-272-3714

MOLDING: RUBBER

Molds: Plastic Injection

3-D Plastics, Inc. 503-720-0572

SMH Inc LLC 360-341-2226

MOLDS

Aero Tech MFG 801-891-2740

Milco Wire EDM,, Inc. ______ 714-373-0098

PAINTING

FLATLINE FAB 503-707-9272

Perfection Industrial Finishing 520-434-9090

PLASTIC EXTRUSION

Custom Plastic Profiles

Inline Plastics Inc. 909-923-1033

Custom Plastic Tubing

Inline Plastics Inc. 909-923-1033

Custom Thermoplastics

Inline Plastics Inc. 909-923-1033

Inline Plastics Inc.

909-923-1033

Custom Plastic Spiraling

Custom Plastic Finishing

PLASTIC MACHINING

MOLDING

Inc

NW MACHINE LLC 425-870-0018

Turnkey Product Services

Extrusion Die Development

CARC

Perfection Industrial Finishing 520-434-9090

Chem Film

Collins Metal Finishing 602-275-3117

Perfection Industrial Finishing 520-434-9090

Chromate

Advanced Precision Anodizing 503-661-6700

Perfection Industrial Finishing 520-434-9090

Chrome/Nickel/Palladium/ Teflon

AZ Hard Chrome

602-278-8671

EPSI ____________ 714-519-9423

Frontier Group 602-437-2426

Leadtek Plating _____ 503-682-4410

Coating

Coating Technologies 623-581-2648

Coating: Black Oxide

Coating Technologies

623-581-2648

Perfection Industrial Finishing 520-434-9090

Coating: Dry Film Lube

Coating Technologies______623-581-2648

Frontier Group 602-437-2426

Leadtek Plating 503-682-4410

Coating: Nickel/ Teflon/Chrome

Coating Technologies 623-581-2648

Leadtek Plating ______ 503-682-4410

Coating:Zinc & Mag.Phos.

Coating Technologies ___ 623-581-2648

Copper

Foresight Finishing 480-772-0387

Collins Metal Finishing

Foresight Finishing

Leadtek Plating 503-682-4410

Precious Metal Plating Co. 800-481-6271

Gold

Foresight Finishing_______480-772-0387

Leadtek Plating 503-682-4410

Precious Metal Plating Co. 800-481-6271

PAS Technologies _____ 602-744-2600

NAD CAP & Boeing Approved Processes

Precious Metal Plating Co. _ 800-481-6271

Collins Metal Finishing

602-275-3117

503-682-4410

Perfection Industrial Finishing 520-434-9090

Phosphate

Perfection Industrial Finishing 520-434-9090

Powder Coating

Perfection Industrial Finishing520-434-9090

Shot Peen

PAS Technologies 602-744-2600

Tin / Zinc Plate

Leadtek Plating 503-682-4410

Silver Plating

Leadtek Plating ______ 503-682-4410

Nickel-Bright & Electroless

Foresight Finishing 480-772-0387

PAS Technologies _____ 602-744-2600

Precious Metal Plating Co. 800-481-6271

Controlled Thermal Tech 602-272-3714

Electro-Polishing

ABLE Electropolishing 888-868-2900

Leadtek Plating ______ 503-682-4410

Precious Metal Plating Co. 800-481-6271

Tin Plating

Precious Metal Plating Co. 800-481-6271

Electroless Nickel

Passivation

Leadtek Plating 503-682-4410

3D-Plastics

Able Electropolishing

Admiral Metalworking Fluids

Advanced Precision Anodizing

Aeroform, Inc

Aero Tech Manufacturing

Allied Tool and Die

American Precision Industries

Andreas Engineering

ARNO

Barton

BLM Group

BMSC

Bystronic

Campbell Prototyping

Chiron

CJ Precision Machine Inc

Cleveland Electric Laboritories

Coast Aluminum

Coastal Metals

Coating Technologies

Collins Metal Finishing

Continenttal Machining Co

CTT

CRC Surface Technologies

Cycle Time Solutions

D&D Precision Tool

David Engineering & MFG

DN Solutions

Dolphin Casting

Editors Corner

EDM Performance

Ellison Technologies

Index of Advertisers

ENGAGE 2025

Evans Precision

Expand Machinery

Foresight Finishing

Frontier Group

Gentech

Grovtec

Hirsh Precision Proto-Production

Horizon Carbide

Industrial Metal Supply Co

KD Capital

Kloeckner Metals-Temtco

Landmark Solutions

LANG Technik-USA

Layke Inc

Leadtek

Lucy’s Machine

Martin Precision Tools

Marzee

MASIC Industries

MC Sales & Marketing

MET-TEK Inc

Methods

Metro Metals Northwest, Inc

MetzFab

Midaco Corporation

Milco

MLC-CAD

Mountain View Machining

MRI , Machinery Resources

Nexus Grinding

Northwest Machine

North-South Machinery

Pacific Swiss

Perfection Industrial Finishing

Performance Machine Tools

Phoenix Heat Treat

Precious Metals Plating

Precision Aerospace, LLC

Precision Die & Stamping

Ron Grob

Royal products

SigmaNest

SMH Inc LLC

SONIC Aerospace

Spectrum Alloys LLC

Spinetti Machinery

Spring Works Utah

StandardAero

Star Metal Fluids

Sulli Tool

Superior Grinding

TCI Precision Metals

ThinBit

Thompson Machine

TURUL Engr., Machining

United Pacific Electronics

US Shop Tools

Valley Financial Services

Welker Engineered Products

Western Sintering

Wrico Stamping