Aerospace Defense Forum

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“The Future of A&D Manufacturing with 3D Printing”

National Online Forum meeting on November 18, 2020

The Aerospace and Defense industry is a great example of utilization of 3D Printing, also known as Additive Manufacturing, with a clear value proposition and the ability to create parts that are stronger and lighter than parts made using traditional manufacturing.

Please join us on Wednesday, November 18, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Gabriel Suppes (Senior Sales Engineer, Purple Platypus); Paul Walsh (Vice-President, Ascent Aerospace); Matt Sand (President, 3DEO); Ivan Madera (CEO, Morf3d) will share their perspectives on the future of 3D printing for A&D manufacturing.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofnov20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

This webinar is sponsored by Arroyo Insurance Services.

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“Trends in Aerospace & Defense M&A”

Virtual Meeting of the South Bay Chapter on November 10

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Meeting Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Meeting Time: 7:30-9:30am Pacific Time

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unanticipated disruption across the aerospace and defense industry. The commercial aviation segment has been most significantly affected with aircraft OEMs and aftermarket providers facing the potential for an extended period of reduced demand.

Aerospace and defense M&A is likely to very fluid in response to the new environment. Well-capitalized suppliers and financial sponsors will see opportunities for consolidation, while reduced demand will force many weaker players to sell, restructure or exit the market entirely.

Please join us via webinar on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, 7:30-9:00 am pacific time, when Abe Nour (Moss Adams LLP, Moderator), Ryan Murphy (KAL Capital Markets), Michael Del Pero (Focal Point), and Sameer Patel (Angelus Equity Partners) will share their predictions for M&A in 2021

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual and Corporate members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsbnov20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The South Bay Chapter is sponsored by Moss Adams, Chubb, and Bolton & Company.

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“How to Increase Your Sales Through Reshoring”

National Online Forum meeting on October 6

It is now clear: shorter supply chains are stronger, more competitive supply chains for the country. This is now clear in healthcare products and becoming clear for defense and other important industries.

Please join us on Tuesday, October 6, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Harry Moser, President, Reshoring Initiative, will demonstrate how to convince your customers they will be more profitable buying from you 10 to 20% of products they now import. He will cover tools to help your customers decide and discuss results of numerous studies showing that the tools work. He will describe how one job shop won a $60 million order and will give examples of job shops that helped OEMs reshore.

Primary Take-Aways:

How to identify the companies that import what you make competitively
How to help the customer quantify the costs and risks of offshoring
How to market reshoring
How to convince companies to reshore and buy from you

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofoct20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The webinar is sponsored by Chubb.

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“The Private Equity Strategy for Navigating the A&D Market in 2021”

Virtual Meeting of the Orange County Chapter on October 2

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Meeting Date: Friday, October 2, 2020
Meeting Time: 8:00-9:30am Pacific Time

Please join us for a collaborative, future focused panel discussion on private equity activity in 2021.

The instability of the travel economy and the challenges in valuation of businesses that support commercial aerospace will drive aggressive acquisitions.

Meanwhile, the flourishing defense industry and expansion into space lends to an optimistic outlook for aerospace businesses. As space and defense programs bolster the slow recovery of aerospace, the industry can no longer be simply defined as “Aerospace & Defense,” SPACE is inserting itself as a key player into the industry.

The strategy of choice for private equity remains: buy and build. The approach moving forward is having actual value-add, not just aggregation of liquidity.

Overhaul of leadership, branding, and capital expenditures define the pattern of private equity ownership.

To prepare for a transformative wave, our panel will confer about what private equity firms are seeking and where they see value heading into 2021. Topics will include:
• Diversification outside Boeing and embracing Airbus additionally as a new, loyal partner.
• Innovation, IP capabilities, and program ownership is the toehold to industry. Having exposure to emerging aircrafts and programs, including defense and space, will ensure profitability and sales. A robust program portfolio will drive private equity ownership.
• Conversion of cybersecurity from a lofty luxury to an emphatic requirement. Professionalizing security within your business will now be a requisite to work with the OEMs and defense primes.

Private equity is hypervigilant of risks. Help to mitigate those risks for your business through the provided insight from a panel of experts within the private equity and investment banking sectors to the aerospace, defense, and space markets.

Confirmed panelists are Ryan Boyle (Moderator) (President, BOB Search), Paul Weisbrich (Managing Director, Investment Banking Group, D.A. Davidson), Paul Teske (Co-Founder and Partner, ATL Partners), Bryan Perkins (Founder & CEO, Novaria Group), Tracy Glende (Chief Executive Officer, Valence Surface Technologies), and Christopher Celtruda (Managing Principal, Destiny Equity Partners)

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual and Corporate members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfococt20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Orange County chapter is normally hosted by Moss Adams and is sponsored by Chubb, Bolton & Company, and City National Bank.

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“Facing COVID-19 and Industry Disruption: An Interactive Discussion with A&D Santa Clarita Businesses”

Virtual Meeting of the Santa Clarita Valley Chapter on September 24

Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Meeting Date: Thursday, September 24, 2020
Meeting Time: 8:00-9:00am Pacific Time

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Clarita Valley Aerospace & Defense businesses are faced with unprecedented challenges to maintain profitable operations and keep its workforce safe and productive. Please join us online on Thursday, September 24, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when the chapter will host an interactive panel with executive leaders from top local aerospace businesses who will discuss lessons learned and areas of focus that each business has adapted to remain viable long term through perseverance, flexibility and focus. Panel members are Brian Williams (CEO, Avantus Aerospace), Michael Alfred (President, Crissair Inc.), and Eric Jensen (Vice President, Fralock Inc.).

The discussion will be moderated by Holly Schroeder, CEO, Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation and Robert Gleason, Chapter Chair, Santa Clarity Valley Chapter, The Aerospace Defense Forum. The Q&A session will include the following major topics:
• COVID-19 Safety Protocols (testing, PPE)
• Business Continuity
• Workforce Flexibility (telecommuting, work hours, etc.)
• Impact of Commercial Downturn.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum Individual and Corporate members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfscvsep20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Santa Clarita Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank and the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

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“The Evolving National Security Innovation Space for All”

San Diego Chapter virtual meeting on September 22

Since World War II, the American public has come to expect its military to have the best of everything. The technological superiority that kept us 20 years ahead of our competitors, however, has rapidly diminished. In some cases, we are already behind. By 2030, unless we pursue “urgent change at significant scale,” in the words of former Defense Secretary Gen. James Mattis, it is likely the U.S. will face an adversary with superior weapons, superior equipment and superior capabilities.

The DoD has instantiated many innovation-oriented organizations and has started to change some of the ways it does business – changing the Small Business Innovation Research process, utilization of Other Transaction Authority, and leveraging Commercial Solutions Offering approaches, to name a few.

This paradigm shift has opened the door for companies offering solutions that have not traditionally been utilized by the DoD. Unfortunately, the procurement process can be daunting for those lacking experience in this space. This deterrent has deprived the DoD of opportunities to engage with many innovative, talented companies.

Please join us on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 8-9am pacific time, to discuss these changes with a panel of innovation ecosystem representatives, subject matter experts, and fellow participants to learn about this shifting landscape and the opportunities it presents. This will be a great opportunity for those unfamiliar with the federal procurement process to learn and ask questions to our panel of experts.

The webinar is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsdsep20.eventbrite.com. All attendees will receive attendee contact information for all those who gave permission.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The San Diego chapter is sponsored by Moss Adams, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LevitZacks, and Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton.

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“What Should We Keep Doing After the Pandemic is Over?”

National Online Forum meeting on September 16

We’ve learned a great deal during the upheaval inflicted by Covid 19. Companies have applied creative stopgap solutions to help adjust in the short term. Some of those things, borne of necessity, will fall by the wayside as soon as we’ve got therapies and treatments. Others have been valuable lessons in new ways of doing business. It’s hard to tell the difference in our current circumstances.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 16, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Rik Reppe, CEO, Experience Alchemists, will review some things from inside and outside the industry that we should not only embrace but even expand on going forward. We’ll cover innovations in technology and experience design that allow companies to realistically evaluate the use of AI, VR, Machine Learning, Voice interfaces, Smart building technologies and others to serve them in the post-pandemic era.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofsep1620.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The webinar is sponsored by Saenger Associates.

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Dealing with Today’s Sales Challenges

National Online Forum meeting on September 1

Many A&D companies, particularly those serving commercial aviation, have experienced a precipitous drop in sales. The National Online Form welcomes three panelists who have and are dealing with this situation and are willing to share their ideas and what did and did not work.

Please join us on Tuesday, September 1, 8:00–9:00am pacific time, when Massimo Masini (VP/GM, Whitcraft), David Conrad (Director Business Development, PTI Technologies), and Tom Shaw (VP Sales & Marketing, Mayday Manufacturing) will share the sales challenges they are dealing with today and how they are solving them.

A future National Online Forum will deal with tomorrow’s sales challenges, e.g., defense-oriented firms who may be OK today and may have concerns about the impact of the deficit on future federal budgets.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $25 for non-members For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to https://adfnofsep120.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The webinar is sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation.

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“Practical considerations for returning to work in the post-COVID-19 world”

Joint Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley Chapter virtual meeting on August 26

Many A&D Forum members participate in the Defense Supply Chain and thus never really closed. Portions of their workforce were continuing to work in a manufacturing environment with daily health screening, mask wearing, social distancing, increased hygiene and in some cases regular Covid-19 testing. Once we can return to work, things will change once again and may cause some disruption. Manufacturing plants that never closed will have to determine what new practices to keep and what to discontinue. Some workforce members that transitioned to remote work may stay that way and others will return to in office/plant work environments. The only certainty is there will be changes, but no one knows what those changes will be.

Since March, employers have been reeling from government shelter-in-place orders and constantly evolving guidance and requirements pertaining to COVID-19.

Please join us online on Wednesday, August 26, 7:30–9:00am Pacific Time when Ben Tulis, Advice & Counsel Attorney, Jackson Lewis P.C., will discuss common issues employers are facing in California and nationally from when a worksite can re-open, guidelines for essential businesses and what to do if an employee refuses to return. Other topics will include the latest information on COVID-19 specific leave information, COVID-19 specific accommodations, guidance for safety in the workplace, and teleworking employees. This area is constantly evolving and the presentation will focus on the most timely issues based on the guidance at the time of the meeting. We will also discuss the various federal, state, and local requirements and resources that help employers stay up to date.

The meeting is free for members and $25 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsfvaug20.eventbrite.com.

Information about joining The A&D Forum is at https://aerospacedefenseforum.org.

The Los Angeles chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is hosted by Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Mitchell and sponsored by RSM, Chubb, Bolton & Company Insurance Brokers, and Stanton Chase.

The San Fernando Valley chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is hosted by Rose, Snyder, & Jacobs and is sponsored by RSM, Chubb, and Bolton & Company.