Not only is it owned by women, somewhat of a rarity in the aerospace business, but it's also the first company to set up in the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport business park. The firm, which opened five weeks ago, sells and distributes fasteners, gaskets, cables and other hardware used in the aviation industry.
It is owned by Sue Hammer and Carrie Boyer, who are backed by their husbands, Joe Hammer and Chris Boyer, who are managing partners.
Joe, a former executive for a major aerospace supplier, has worked 30 years in the manufacturing and distribution of aerospace fasteners. Chris has worked in the industry for 19 years.
A year ago, the two friends met with their wives and discussed starting a business with the women as owners, which could provide a competitive advantage with government and defense contracts, which often include preferences for minority- or women-owned companies.
It wasn't exactly a stretch for either wife.
"A part of me was excited," said Sue, who has a degree in chemistry and has had experience owning a business. She also grew up around the aerospace business.
"My father was in the aerospace-fastener business," she said. "So it's in our blood."
Carrie, a full-time physical therapist, has taken on a role in marketing the company and provides a sounding board for her partners.
"As a spouse, they understand us," said Chris, adding that both wives handle the business standards and strategic direction for the company while the husbands oversee day-to-day operations of sales and distribution.
In addition to the Hammers and the Boyers, HB Aerospace employs four to five part-time employees and has plans to expand to 15 full-time employees in two years as it cements its role in Arizona's $3.8 billion aerospace industry.
The southeast Valley is home to hundreds of aerospace-related businesses, with most of them in Mesa.
About 25,000 to 30,000 employees are engaged in aviation or aerospace in the southeast Valley, said Roc Arnett, president of the East Valley Partnership, a community coalition for local and regional businesses.
The group is teaming with the Mesa Chamber of Commerce to develop a southeast Valley aerospace alliance in the next three to four months. The focused group would help market the southeast Valley aerospace industry with hopes of luring other companies to Mesa and neighboring cities.
"What we're going to do is support the aerospace industry," Arnett said. "There's not a place that brings us all together," he said, adding the committee would use marketing strategies to help lure other aerospace-related companies to Mesa.
Joe Hammer said his company already is close to signing contracts as a hardware supplier with two companies. He said he projects his business will be a $5 million company in five years. "This is what we wanted to do," he said. "Everybody has to start somewhere."
By: Angelique Soenarie - The Arizona Republic