Membership
Aerospace Clusters
Marketing and Sales Activities
Education and Training
The Aerospace States Association
Membership: The MEAA will reach out to all members of the Manufacturers Association of Maine (MAMe) who are engaged in or want to be engaged in the worldwide aerospace market and form aerospace clusters to better support our customers.
Aerospace Clusters: The MEAA will provide our clusters of aerospace companies' education opportunities, certification training and marketing assistance. As part of this outreach effort, the MEAA will disseminate the capabilities of Maine Aerospace suppliers, identify and remove common obstacles among its members, and develop individual unique solutions to support and promote its members.
Marketing and Sales Activities: The MEAA will facilitate the development of a strategic sales and marketing plan to promote it's members products and services to the worldwide aerospace market and to disseminate marketing information among its cluster members thereby leveraging their potential. This is accomplished through the MEAA's complete capabilities database, which will be fully functioning and available in January 2011. Activities to accomplish Marketing and Sales goals consist of face-to-face meetings, aerospace industry conferences and forums, and the direct connections of the industry members with OEM's and Prime Contractors and Government Agencies.
Education and Training: The MEAA seeks to stimulate and encourage vital training and education to support the critical needs of this highly skilled industry. MEAA recognizes that in order for Maine companies to be competitive in the aerospace market, they must have a well-trained and appropriately certified workforce. Maine's aerospace-related companies will have access to a variety of education and training opportunities for their existing workforce. Specifically, through the Governor's Training Initiative (GTI) Consortium for the purpose of coordinating training for a variety of industry certification such as AS9100, ISO, NADCAP, ITAR, etc.; coordinate with Maine's Universities and community colleges to provide customized training in aerospace technology and to provide workers with access to training in traditional manufacturing skills areas such as machining and welding.
Companies participating in the MEAA have access to MAMe's Business Growth Services Division. The Manufacturers Association of Maine has affiliate members who provide "business consulting" and services to manufacturers. MAMe sets up work performance contracts directly with members based at their request and based on their individual needs. MAMe offers a full array of business services through a network of over twenty affiliate organizations in areas of training including Lean, Internal Audit, CAD and Customized Training; Strategic Business Planning; Industrial Engineering; Grant Writing (SBIR, MTI, TIF's, etc.); Industry and Int'l Sales/Marketing; Quality: CE Mark, ISO, NADCAP, AS Certifications; HR Services; Network Systems; Cost Accounting; Web Design and IT Services; Compliance; Energy Solutions and Building: Green, New, and Renovations. For the purpose of addressing business challenges, the association is fully equipped to provide members with business solutions in the aerospace sector. The Business Services Division is a fee-based service, aligned with the state and/or federal resources to assist with companies needs.
Dr. David S. Rubenstein, President of Maine Aerospace Consulting, LLC (MAC) and member of the MEAA Steering Committee, developed with the University of Maine, College of Engineering an Aerospace Engineering program. The program was established as a "Concentration in Aerospace Engineering" within the Department of Mechanical Engineering. For those disciplines outside of this department, the program would provide a "Minor in Aerospace Engineering". The courses will be offered statewide as well as in Orono, using ITV distance learning technologies. The University offers three courses in the general areas of Aeronautics and Astronautics, with a fourth being developed for the Fall 2009. MAC and MEAA cost-shared the development expense of the initial three courses:
The Aerospace States Association:
State Lt. Governors Celebrate National Aerospace Week September 11-17.
The Congress has recognized contributions of the American aerospace industry to America’s security, technological security and economy by establishing this week as National Aerospace Week, and the Aerospace States Association (ASA) is joining the celebration with a series of events.
The aerospace and defense industry employs more than 800,000 workers across the nation and supports more than two million middle class jobs and 30,000 suppliers in all 50 states. The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) reports that the industry tallied record sales of $214.5 billion in 2010 along with the largest positive trade balance of any manufacturing sector.
“Our nation is facing tremendous economic pressure,” said Alaska Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell, Chair of ASA. “National Aerospace Week is an opportunity to reinforce the value of this important industry across our nation. In these uncertain times, we are doing our part to keep our nation strong and secure, and our aerospace and aviation industries ‘Second to None’.”
Second to None is the multi-year education campaign that the AIA has launched to highlight the value of aerospace and defense to our nation. More information is available at NationalAerospaceWeek.org and SecondtoNone.org.
“National Aerospace Week is also a great day to say ‘job well done’ to all the men and women of the aerospace workforce, and it’s a time to encourage our young men and women to consider a rewarding career in aerospace” Treadwell said. ASA has launched new support for the Real World Design Challenge and Build-a-Plane to help provide youth across the nation with learning opportunities to ensure that the future of America’s aerospace industry is second to none.
The Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) is an annual competition that provides high school students the opportunity to work on real-world engineering challenges in a team environment, while Build-a-Plane is a non-profit organization that partners with the Federal Aviation Administration and other organizations to provide schools with donated aircraft and aircraft kits for their students’ hands-on practice in the building or restoration of a real aircraft.
As ASA celebrates National Aerospace Week, it recognizes aerospace companies in our states for taking great pride in their work and for playing a key role in America’s national defense and economic development.
For more on National Aerospace Week and these organizations, visit
www.NationalAerospaceWeek.org.
About ASA. ASA is a bi-partisan organization representing the grass roots of American aerospace and aviation. It is a 501(c) (3) scientific and educational organization whose members include lieutenant governors, governor-appointed delegates and associate members from the aerospace industry, academia, and non-profit organizations. ASA was formed in 1993 to promote a state-based perspective in federal aerospace policy development; to support state aerospace initiatives that enhance economic development opportunities; and to promote student and teacher education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math – especially through RWDC. ASA maintains direct ties to the executive branches of state governments throughout the nation.
Learn more about ASA and how to join as an associate member at http://www.aerostates.org/
Contact: Charles Huettner
Phone: 202 257-4872
Email: AerospaceStates@comcast.net