Event aimed at bolstering aviation industry in Kansas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – co-chair of U.S. Senate Aerospace Caucus – along with Northrop Grumman Corporation and the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition (GWEDC) today announced that they will co-host a Northrop Grumman New Supplier Symposium at the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT) in Wichita, Kan., on July 2, 2015. The supplier conference will help facilitate business between Kansas companies and Northrop Grumman, and will enable suppliers to meet one-on-one with representatives from Northrop Grumman.

“Given Kansas’ reputation as the national leader in aviation manufacturing and job creation, it’s no wonder global aviation manufacturers like Northrop Grumman are eager to tap into the talents of Kansans,” Sen. Moran said. “Wichita is the ‘Air Capital of the World’ for good reason – it is the only place in the world that offers 90-years of experience in aviation manufacturing, access to the world’s largest supplier base, and aircraft workers and training that are second to none. Because exports are so vital to Kansas’ economy and Kansas jobs, our state must continue to build quality products in order to stay competitive in the global marketplace. I am proud to host the Northrop Grumman New Supplier Symposium, which will help make certain that when Northrop Grumman looks for new U.S. suppliers, it looks to Kansas companies.”

“We are excited to meet with Kansas businesses and connect with potential new suppliers. Kansas has a proud legacy of aerospace manufacturing and we hope to expand our relationship with the industrial community,” said Gloria Pualani, corporate director for Global Supplier Diversity Programs, Northrop Grumman. “Suppliers, including small, woman, disadvantaged, minority and veteran-owned companies, are critical to our success. Events like this help us connect with a broad and diverse base of potential suppliers. As a leading global security company, maintaining a diverse supplier base helps us to provide increasingly more innovative and affordable solutions and products to our customers.”

“Greater Wichita is the Air Capital of the World with over 300 world-class suppliers with the ability to take on the exciting new Northrop Grumman programs,” said Debra Teufel, vice president of GWEDC. “This opportunity will introduce our regional suppliers directly to the Northrop Grumman supply chain team making decisions about where to place their work statements. We can’t thank Senator Moran and Northrop Grumman enough for bringing this opportunity to us.”

The free summit will give suppliers the opportunity to learn more about doing business with one of the world’s leading global security companies. The event will feature: a presentation by Northrop Grumman on how to become a supplier; individualized 10-minute meetings with suppliers and a Northrop Grumman global supply chain representative; a panel discussion featuring current Northrop Grumman suppliers based in Kansas; and an overview of the Northrop Grumman Supplier Diversity program.

The event focuses on suppliers for Northrop Grumman’s Four Business Sectors: Aerospace Systems, Electronic Systems, Information Systems and Technical Services.

Registration is required for the Northrop Grumman New Supplier Symposium. To register, suppliers should email Tammy Nolan with the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition at tnolan@gwedc.org no later than June 25. RSVPs should include company name, number of attendees, commodity, size of business and the specific Northrop Grumman business sectors the supplier is interested in learning more about. Current suppliers to the company are welcome.

There are more than 450 companies in the Kansas’ aerospace industry, accounting for more than 32,000 direct jobs.

Northrop Grumman currently partners with more than 180 Kansas businesses. Over the past three years, the company has committed more than $132 million with suppliers in Kansas, including over $30 million in 2014. In addition, Northrop Grumman employs more than 640 Kansans at facilities in Olathe and Fort Leavenworth (providing training programs for the U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Department of State) and Topeka (providing depot repair for the U.S. Postal Service).