Meeting Notices

“CERI: Solving Critical Human-Technology Problems”
Arizona Chapter July 8 meeting (Phoenix)

The Cognitive Engineering Research Institute (CERI) is an independent, not-for-profit, research institute founded by partners from private industry, academia, and government laboratories. Through CERI, these sectors come together to solve critical problems of socio-technical systems by applying human-centered design, conducting problem-oriented research, and facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration among scientists, practitioners, and users. CERI forms pathways from scientific results in the laboratory to the implementation of results into the systems of national importance.

Please join us in Phoenix on Tuesday, July 8, 2014, 7:30am – 9:00am MST, when Steven Shope, President, Sandia Research Corporation will discuss CERI and the types of research conducted there using specific project examples.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until July 1). For more information and to register to attend the meeting, go to http://adfazjul14.eventbrite.com.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The Arizona Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is led by individuals from Phoenix Logistics, KinetX Aerospace, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Greenberg Traurig, Snell & Wilmer, and Frontier Associates.

“How To Reposition From Defense To Commercial”

San Diego Chapter meeting on June 24

Sequestration and defense cutbacks have resulted in a dramatically changed environment for defense contractors in the last several years. Gone are the “boom” days of free flowing cash via lucrative and easy to find contracts. The defense environment now is highly competitive and many small and medium sized companies have downsized or shut down.

Some companies have tried to reposition their offerings to non-governmental customers, for the most part unsuccessfully. Please join us in San Diego on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 (networking at 7:00am, meeting 7:30– 9:00am PST), when Eric Basu, CEO of Sentek Global, will describe how his company approached the commercial market, including product offerings, sales force restructuring, marketing and accounting issues.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until June 24). For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsdjun14.eventbrite.com.

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

The San Diego chapter was founded by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton and Frontier Associates, and is sponsored by Capital Edge Consulting, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LevitZacks, Opus Bank and BNY Mellon Wealth Management.

“Post M&A Integration, Culture Alignment and Dispute Resolution”
Los Angeles Chapter meeting on June 20

Once the M&A transaction has been completed, what happens next? By the time a transaction is complete and funds have transferred, one or both parties to the transaction are typically exhausted and ready for a long sought after rest. However, one could argue that the “real work” begins the day after closing.

Please join us in Los Angeles on Friday, June 20, 2014, 7:30am – 9:00am PST (networking at 7:00am), and learn from two experienced A&D industry CEO’s (Kevin Mickey of Scaled Composites and Jeff Hynes of Composites Horizons) about how they have successfully handled these various post-transaction challenges. Larry Braun (Sheppard Mullin), Ivan Rosenberg (Frontier Associates) and Stephen Perry (Janes Capital Partners) will also provide their third party perspectives about “what to do” and “what not to do” in order to ensure a successful outcome.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until June 13). For more information and to register to attend the meeting in person or for free via the web, go to http://adflajun14.eventbrite.com.

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

The Los Angeles chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum was founded by Frontier Associates and the 62 Mile Club, and is sponsored by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, Moss Adams, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Mitchell, and UK Trade & Investment.

Tour of the 161st Air Refueling Wing – Arizona National Guard
Arizona Chapter June 10 meeting (Phoenix)

Please join us at the new Phoenix Air Guard base on Tuesday, June 10, 2014, (7:00-7:30am Networking, 7:30-9:30am Meeting & Tour) for a unique tour of the 161st Air Refueling Wing. After welcome and introductions there will be a briefing on the 161st mission and aircraft briefing. We will then split into groups of 10-15 for tours of aircraft / mx facilities / operations facilities. This will be a walking tour, and golf cart transportation will be available for those who need it. Everyone will be allowed to climb into the aircraft and get as close as they like.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members. Click here for more information and to register to attend the meeting. Registration will close at 11pm on Tuesday, June 3 so the attendee list may be submitted to base security.

Click here for more information about and to join The Aerospace & Defense Forum.

The Arizona Chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum is led by individuals from KinetX Aerospace, Phoenix Logistics, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities, Greenberg Traurig, Snell & Wilmer, Arizona Aerospace and Defense Commission, and Frontier Associates.

“Legacy Defense Aircraft Sustainment for the International Market”
Orange County Chapter meeting on June 5

Challenging defense budget environments and high priced modern aircraft platforms compel the domestic and international community to invest in legacy aircraft and their sustainment for cost effective sovereign defense.

Please join us in Costa Mesa, CA on Thursday, June 5, 2014 (networking at 7:00am, meeting 7:30– 9:00am PST), when Chris Celtruda, CEO, will describe how The Merex Group focuses on managing a global channel and connecting a bundle of services that include OEM part distribution, MRO, legacy part engineering and manufacturing, and overall fleet management and life extension program management.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members ($30 Early Bird until May 29). Click here to register to attend the meeting

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

The Orange County chapter was founded by Frontier Associates and D.A. Davidson & Co., and is sponsored by Burdge Logistics, Moss Adams, TriVista, Hein & Associates, Value Based Project Management, Dorsey & Whitney, and UK Trade & Investment.

Tour of Triumph Aerostructures – Hawthorne

Los Angeles Chapter meeting on May 16

Please join us in Los Angeles on Friday, May 16, 2014, 7:30am – 9:30am PDT (breakfast and networking at 7:00am), for a tour of Triumph Aerostructures – Vought Aircraft Division – Hawthorne. The tour will consist of a 20-minute presentation, followed by a tour through all aspects of the main assembly plant’s operation, from receipt of parts, through preparation of Boeing 747 skins (coating and drilling), assembly and loading for shipment.

Triumph Aerostructures – Hawthorne has been a major innovator of both military and commercial airframe structures since the 1930s. This experience has enabled them to become a world-class supplier of skin panels. The Hawthorne plant has produced Boeing 747 fuselage panels since the aircraft program began in 1966. Since that time, they have delivered more than 1,400 fuselage ship sets, including those for Air Force One.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members. For more information and to register to attend the meeting in person or for free via the web, go to http://adflamay14.eventbrite.com. There is a limit of 40 attendees and A&D Forum members have first opportunity to sign up.

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

The Los Angeles chapter of The Aerospace & Defense Forum was founded by Frontier Associates and the 62 Mile Club, and is sponsored by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, Moss Adams, Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Mitchell, and UK Trade & Investment.

Tour of Strategic Operations, Inc.

San Diego Chapter meeting on May 7

Strategic Operations, Inc. (STOPS) primarily provides unique, Hyper-Realistic™ training services and products for military, law enforcement, and organizations responsible for homeland security and is largely recognized for having created this segment of the Military Simulation (MilSim) market. The Company is helping to revolutionize training practices in the Medical Simulation (MedSim) portion of the Training and Simulation. In support of MilSim activities, STOPS builds environments for Military Operations on Urban Terrain and coordinates Hyper-Realistic™ training exercises either on the Company’s headquarters campus or off-site at a military training facility.

Please join us in San Diego on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 (networking at 8:00am, meeting and tour 8:30– 10:00am PDT), when 15 lucky people will tour this unique facility.

The meeting is free for A&D Forum members and $40 for non-members (available on May 1). For more information and to register to attend the meeting go to http://adfsdmay14.eventbrite.com.

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

The San Diego chapter was founded by Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton and Frontier Associates, and is sponsored by Opus Bank, BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Capital Edge Consulting, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and LevitZacks.