As we’ve said here before, New Hampshire may not have a company that builds entire airplanes, but we do have companies that supply components used to construct them.
So it makes sense that there should be a Granite State presence at an aerospace trade show a short hop over the border — the international border.
And there was.
Five Granite State companies were part of theNew Hampshire delegation attending the Aero Montreal Global Supply Chain Summit this week, including Gov. John Lynch and Department of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner George Bald.
The group represented the largest contingent of any state and the only state to attend the summit from New England.
Aero Montreal is Quebec’s aerospace cluster, so it brings together the minds and associations of the sector. The summit brings together aerospace companies from around the world and the result is a whirlwind couple of days of seminars, networking and, most importantly, appointments with the decision makers at some of the biggest names in the air – Lockheed, Boeing, Bombardier.
“Sometimes it can take years to meet with the right people, but in this one trip, I’m meeting with people from Bombardier and Lockheed,” said Michael Barrett of Tech Resources in Milford, adding that meetings were arranged by Lynch and staff at the Division of Economic Development’s International Trade Resource Center. “We’re introducing a new product and looking at substantive growth.”
Jeff Stimson of Orion Wire in North Haverhill employs seven people at the company, which specializes in custom engineered wire and cable applications.
“We probably would not have been able to get our foot in the door and I don’t think we would ever meet the same level of people on our own,” Stimson said.
He, like the other Granite State companies represented, say the aim of attending the summit is to get more work and grow their businesses.
It’s the kind of domino effect that also includes hiring more workers.
The other companies represented included Axenics in Nashua, which employs 40 people; EPTAM Plastics of Northfield, with 108 employees and Corfin Industries of Salem, with about 80 workers.
The trade mission to the aerospace summit was underwritten by the State Trade and Export Promotion grant.
Earlier this week, we wrote about New Hampshire receiving nearly $300,000 in the second year of the STEP program, which is administered by the Small Business Administration.
Our International Trade Resource Center reached out to these companies to let them know about the summit. As the STEP program continues, there are a number of opportunities available for companies considering exporting their products, so if that’s you, reach out to the ITRC for more information.
Lorna Colquhoun
Communications Director
Division of Economic Development