Chad Causey
The Arkansas aerospace sector hopes to put on a good show next week.
The seventh annual Arkansas Aerospace Summit will be held March 10-11 at the Crowne Plaza in Little Rock. It is being hosted by the Arkansas Aerospace & Defense Alliance, a group of aerospace companies that was formed in 2012.
Chad Causey, the executive director of the alliance, said the summit will be a great opportunity for education and networking among the state’s many aerospace companies. The aerospace industry is one of Arkansas’ most important, Causey said, as the state’s No. 1 exporter with more than $1.8 billion in goods exported annually and with 180 companies employing nearly 10,000 people statewide.
“In Arkansas, we have a tendency to be home to some well-kept secrets,” Causey said. “The aerospace and defense [sector] is something we’re trying to bring into the forefront.”
Causey said speakers scheduled to appear during the summit include Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and retired Gen. Bob Mansfield.
“Most people think of Arkansas as an agriculture state, and some will see it as the headquarters for the largest global retailer,” Causey said. “We’ve got aerospace companies throughout the state. What is important is to make sure our member companies have a chance to come together with their peers to network and exchange ideas. We can develop a stronger platform to show the region and the nation and the world that Arkansas is a great place to do business as an aerospace and defense company.”
Causey said the alliance came into being in 2012 as a formal organization after beginning as a task force of the Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission in 2006. Causey said it originally started to help study the economic impact of the local industry before everyone realized the strength of the state’s aerospace companies.
The alliance hopes the summit helps publicize that continuing fact. Causey said the summit will bring together state suppliers and manufacturers with out-of-state companies.
Causey said promoting Arkansas could result in a company relocating or expanding in the state, but even increasing exports would be a great result. The general goal of the alliance and the summit is just greater exposure of the state’s aerospace industry.
“I don’t know if I could pinpoint one next step other than to capitalize on economic trends in the sector,” Causey said. “Arkansas, we’re here and we’re strong. We do quality work, got a great workforce, and we’re strategically located.”
As part of the alliance’s goal of promotion and exposure, a delegation of industry officials went to the London Air Show last year. The alliance, in cooperation with other state economic groups, is putting together another delegation to attend the Paris Air Show this summer, and Causey said several companies plan to have booths at that show.
There will also be a job fair March 10 and a millennial discussion group March 11. Causey said there will also be a panel discussion with industry executives and representatives of two-year colleges to find a way to cooperate on worker training.
The aerospace industry struggles with workforce issues as do many other industries in the state. Causey said there will be people there to help potential workers with information about the industry as well as resume and interview tips. “That’s something we hear a lot in our conversations with the board: How do we bolster the employment pool?”
Causey said the industry has targeted retired and active military personnel as prime candidates to join the aerospace workforce. Millennial workers are targeted by many industries, and Causey said he and members of the alliance’s board of directors believe aerospace jobs are worth advertising.
“We’re not unlike many other sectors that are experiencing an aging workforce,” Causey said. “How can we partner with other groups in Arkansas to get young people interested in aerospace careers? How do we educate people at a younger age that these are great jobs?
“If you’re interested in working on a car engine, think of how interesting it would be to work on a jet engine and how rewarding that would be. It pays pretty darn good, too. That challenge is one our board works on. I don’t think there is a silver bullet but we’re looking for one.”
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