An Alabama delegation that includes high-ranking state leaders, economic development specialists and community representatives is traveling to London to attend next week’s 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, the aerospace industry’s largest trade event of the year.

Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair is heading a small working team from the Alabama Department of Commerce that will engage in scheduled appointments and impromptu meetings with officials from leading aerospace, defense and aviation companies.

The event gets underway Monday, July 22, inside exhibition space at Farnborough Airport, near London.

McNair said the Commerce team is aiming to build on the strong growth that has been taking place in the state’s aerospace sector. Over the past decade, aerospace, defense and aviation companies have announced growth projects in Alabama involving more than $4.3 billion in new investment and almost 12,000 job commitments.

While at Farnborough, the Commerce team will take advantage of a unique opportunity to renew relationships with industry decision-makers and forge new connections with companies considering U.S. locations for growth projects, all in one location over the course of a few days.

“Farnborough gives our team access to a long list of senior-level aerospace industry executives in a highly concentrated time frame,” McNair said. “This gives us a chance to make a business case for Alabama as an ideal location for new investment projects within the aerospace sector.”

An Airbus A220-300, assembled in Mobile. (contributed)

Advancing aerospace

While the meeting itinerary is confidential, the team has held scheduled appointments and informal discussions with executives at aerospace giants including Boeing, Airbus, GE Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and United Launch Alliance at previous European air shows.

Organizers say the 2022 installment of Farnborough attracted more than 1,200 exhibitors from more than 40 countries during the event’s trade show portion, which is dedicated to industry officials and other professionals.

More than 20 U.S. states are typically represented at the international event.

In addition to the Commerce team, economic development specialists and business leaders from communities across Alabama are attending the air show. These include Huntsville, Mobile, the Birmingham region, Montgomery and Auburn/Opelika.

Representatives from Auburn University and the University of Alabama in Huntsville will also be at Farnborough.

Farnborough International Airshow is held every other year and is the biggest event in aviation and aerospace in the world this year. (contributed)

International connections

Two Alabama companies – SEA Wire and Cable and IERUS Technologies – will exhibit their products at the “Made in Alabama” booth in the U.S Pavilion at the Farnborough Airport exhibition hall. Both are based in Huntsville.

“We have seen great growth in our aerospace exports over the last several years. Supporting companies like IERUS and SEA Wire and Cable will continue to add to that growth,” said Christina Stimpson, director of the Department of Commerce’s Office of International Trade.

“Through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, these firms are able to showcase their innovative capabilities and technologies at one of the largest aerospace and defense shows in the world,” Stimpson said.

SEA is a distributor specializing in supplying mil-aero, cable, tubing, termination sleeves, cable ties, EMI/RFI backshells and other cable harnessing products for demanding military and commercial applications.

IERUS provides detailed engineering expertise and support for a wide variety of defense and commercial technologies.

While at the air show, both companies will work with Stimpson and Christoph Dörr, director of the Department of Commerce’s European Office in Stuttgart, Germany, to make direct connections with interested foreign buyers.

Launch pad for growth

Bob Smith, the department’s point person on the aerospace industry, said discussions at previous European air shows have kick-started Alabama growth projects from GE Aviation, GKN Aerospace and others.

“At Farnborough, we can showcase Alabama’s many advantages and capabilities in the aerospace sector,” said Smith, assistant director of the department’s Business Development Division in charge of European strategy.

“Because we can connect with companies from around the world at one location over three days, we can often unearth potential growth projects and put Alabama on the radar screen for these opportunities,” he said.

Other members of the Department of Commerce’s working team at Farnborough are Veronica Crock, a senior project manager, and Stefania Jones, manager of government relations and marketing.

This story originally appeared on the Alabama Department of Commerce’s Made in Alabama website.