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Updates from the North American Center of Excellence for Transportation Equipment

An Update from the

Director of NAmTrans

Dear Friends,

I hope this newsletter finds you happy, healthy, and enjoying the summer!

June and July have been busy and productive months for NAmTrans. At the end of June, I traveled more than 500 miles round trip to visit our cluster companies in Massena, Ogdensburg, Watertown, and Auburn. It was a pleasure meeting with the teams at Alcoa, Frank Ralphs, Plastitel, Taro Manufacturing, and New York Air Brake, learning more about their contributions to the transportation manufacturing industry, and discussing ways we can work together moving forward.

From July 20–24, NAmTrans will represent our cluster at the Farnborough International Airshow in England. As one of the world's premier aerospace trade events, Farnborough brings together companies and industry leaders from around the globe. We are excited to showcase NAmTrans and our member companies while building valuable new connections. Be sure to follow our journey on Facebook and LinkedIn for updates from the airshow.

At NAmTrans, we remain committed to strengthening our cluster and supporting the success of our transportation manufacturing and aerospace companies. Thank you for your continued support, and please know what an honor it is to represent NAmTrans. I look forward to sharing more exciting opportunities with you in the months ahead.

Warmest Regards,

Brandon Menard

Director, NAmTrans

NAmTrans Welcomes a New Member to the Cluster!

Every wind turbine, aircraft, and rail car is held together by thousands of small but critical parts that have to show up in the right place at the right time. That's Gexpro Services' business.

Gexpro Services manages the fasteners, electrical, and fabricated components that keep production lines moving for the world's leading manufacturers — through vendor-managed inventory, custom kitting, and point-of-use delivery run from service centers across the globe.

The company's work spans renewables, power, technology, transportation, and aerospace and defense, backed by AS9100D-certified, ITAR- and DFARS-compliant operations.

NAmTrans is proud to have Gexpro Services as our newest member, and we look forward to working with them! If you're interested in utilizing their services, click the button below and we'd be happy to introduce you.

Let Brandon Connect You with Gexpro

Celebrating the Next Generation of North Country Business Leaders!

On June 1, Brandon Menard, Director of NAmTrans and Strategic Initiatives at the North Country Chamber of Commerce, attended Peru High School’s Business Achievement Awards ceremony.

During the event, Brandon had the honor of placing gold stoles on graduating seniors who earned 1,000 points over the course of the year through business education classes, service, and active participation in meetings. This program is part of Peru High School’s local chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA).

We wish all graduating seniors continued success in their future endeavors!

Learn About the Winners

NAmTrans Meets with Flying Whales

North Country Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Garry Douglas and NAmTrans Director Brandon Menard recently met with Pierre-Yves Fouillen, Business Development Manager for North America at Flying Whales.

Flying Whales is a French company established in 2012 to develop an innovative air transport solution based on a rigid airship, the LCA60T. The airship is designed to carry heavy and oversized cargo, with a capacity of up to 60 tons, without requiring ground infrastructure. Its ability to load and unload while hovering makes it uniquely suited to supporting the economic development of remote regions while reducing the environmental impact of air freight.

The meeting provided an excellent opportunity to catch up with the Flying Whales team and strengthen our connection.

CLUSTER NEWS

BETA Technology Launches Operations Across the Country

BETA Technologies recently showcased their flight capabilities on ABC's Good Morning America. During the segment, BETA's President and Chief Executive Officer, Kyle Clark, had some major news to announce starting later this year.

Click Here to Watch

New York Air Brake Recognized as a Premiere Supplier

In a social media post, New York Air Brake announced their recognition saying:

"We are proud to share that NYAB was recognized by Trinity Industries, Inc. as a 2025 Premier Supplier during the Trinity Premier Supplier Award Ceremony on May 20, 2026.

NYAB received this distinction in the Specialty Parts Category, recognizing our excellent and consistent performance throughout 2025. This award reflects the dedication of our team and the strength of our long-standing partnership."

Heart Aerospace Appoints Brittany Churchill as Vice President of Operations

Heart Aerospace is pleased to announce the appointment of Brittany Churchill as Vice President of Operations and member of the Executive Leadership Team.

As VP of Operations, Churchill will lead Heart’s integrated manufacturing and operations organization, including production, quality, safety, supply chain, facilities, and manufacturing engineering. A mechanical engineer and manufacturing executive, she brings deep experience scaling complex hardware programs across commercial aviation, traditional aerospace, and next-generation space launch.

BAE Systems awarded contract for continued production of M109A7 Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzers

As a key capability in the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team formation, the M109A7 Paladin provides advanced firepower and maneuverability, enabling artillery units to rapidly deploy and engage targets with precision. With its “scoot-and-shoot” capability, the M109A7 can deliver precise fires in under 30 seconds when emplaced or within a minute while on the move, ensuring both survivability and effectiveness in high-threat environments.

“The M109A7 Paladin is a battle-proven platform that delivers what Soldiers need to succeed on today’s battlefield,” said Dan Furber, Combat Mission Systems Vice President of Artillery Programs. “With its reliable performance and robust industrial base, the Paladin ensures our troops have the firepower and support they can count on when it matters most.”

Learn More

Norsk Titanium Awarded Contract to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Submarine Applications

Norsk Titanium, a global leader in structural titanium additive manufacturing, announced it has received nearly $4.2 million in a contract investment from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy in support of the Defense Industrial Base Expansion, Development, and Growth Enterprise (DIB-EDGE) initiative.

DIB-EDGE aims to advance next-generation manufacturing capabilities focused on revitalizing U.S. maritime and submarine industrial capacity. This investment funds development activities related to Rapid Plasma Deposition® (RPD®) over the 18-month term of the contract.

Learn More

Blue Bird Featured in America 250 Documentary Series

For nearly 100 years, Blue Bird has served as an American institution, remaining the only U.S.-owned and operated school bus manufacturer dedicated to protecting our nation’s "most precious cargo".

Watch their story, "Driving the Future of School Transportation," to see how a century of innovation in safety and clean energy has made Blue Bird a cornerstone of American progress.

Click Here to Watch

Is Your Company Experiencing Tech Challenges? We Have a Solution!

You've got 80, maybe 150 employees. The business is growing, but your technology isn't keeping pace.

Production data lives in one system, inventory in another, and half of the critical numbers are trapped in someone's spreadsheet. Every time you need a clear picture of what's happening across the operation, it takes three people and two days to pull everything together.

You know this is costing you: missed shipments, unexpected downtime, slow quoting, and inventory data you can't trust. But hiring a full-time CTO at $250,000+ per year doesn't make sense for where your company is today.

That's the gap Rob Britton is here to fill.

He works with small to medium-sized B2B operations companies in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors across the Northeastern US to adopt AI, SaaS, and data technology systems to help improve your efficiency and effectiveness.

Let Brandon Connect You with Rob

Machining

When: 7/20 – 7/24 (Classes held Monday-Friday) 8AM – 4PM

Where: Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College

This 40-hour course provides participants with the foundational skills required for modern machining. Through hands-on training in a manufacturing lab environment, participants will develop competencies in shop safety, precision measurement, blueprint reading, basic manual machining operations, and an introduction to CNC concepts.

Designed as an add-on to the maintenance program, this course serves as a value-added opportunity to broaden technical skill sets, enhance employability, and support advancement in today’s manufacturing workforce.

Topics:

Machine Safety and Blueprints

Demonstrate proper shop safety procedures
Accurately measure parts using precision tools
Interpret basic engineering drawings and tolerances

Basic Operation of Lathes and Mills – Hands-On

Facing
Drilling and Tapping
Boring
Milling

Computer Numerical Control Machining (CNC)

CNC
Operation
Datums
Draw/program
G and M Code basics

This is a free course sponsored by Clinton County IDA

Intro to Electrical Systems and Controls

When: 7/23 - 8/24 (Classes held on Tuesdays and Thursdays) 4PM – 8PM

7/27-7/31 (Classes held Monday – Friday) 8AM – 4PM

Where: Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College

This is a 40-hour course, offering hands-on training in industrial electrical systems and controls. Instruction covers:

Safety, electrical theory and meter basics
Components, controls and motor basics
Symbols and schematic reading
Troubleshooting fundamentals and common faults
Applied troubleshooting, assessment and review

This is a free course sponsored by Clinton County IDA

10HR OSHA Construction (Two Classes)

Please note you MUST attend Day 1 & Day 2 in order to receive OSHA Card

When: 7/30 --- 7:30AM – 1PM

7/31 --- 7:30AM – 1PM

Where: North Country Chamber of Commerce

Description: Provide workers with awareness of common job-related safety and health hazard.

Topics that may include in class:

Introduction to OSHA
Focus Four Hazards-including: Fall Protection, Electrical, Struck By, Caught in/Between
Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment
Health Hazards in Construction-including: Haz-Com and Silica
Fall Protection
Machine Guarding
Scaffolds
Materials Handling, Storage, Use and Disposal
Stairways and Ladders
Power and Hand Tools

These classes are FREE through New York State Funding Provided By:

Occupational Safety and Health Hazard Abatement Board

Advanced Manufacturing Essential Skills (AMES)

When: 8/10 – 8/14 (Classes held Monday – Friday) 8AM – 5PM

Where: Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at Clinton Community College

AMES 1 introduces participants to the skills used in today's high-tech manufacturing workplaces. Participants learn workplace safety, blueprint reading, precision measurement, manufacturing processes, and introductory machining and automation concepts. It is designed to help students transition from school to career training while building confidence, technical experience and employability skills valued by regional manufacturers.

AMES 2 takes participants to the next level with advanced manufacturing training focused on real -world production environments. Building on AMES 1, participants gain deeper experience with machining, automation systems, troubleshooting, quality control and industrial technologies used by modern manufacturers.

This week-long class is geared toward graduating high school seniors looking to go into the manufacturing or industrial workforce.

This program is grant sponsored and does not require a registration fee.