Ohio's Aerospace Export Project

Representatives of the state's aerospace industry plan to announce the start of the Ohio Aerospace Export Project, a three-year, $600,000 effort to teach export strategy to Ohio makers of airplane and spaceship parts.

The project was made possible by a federal grant and a commitment by the Cleveland-based Ohio Aerospace Institute to provide further cash and expertise.

Industry leaders say they believe the program can boost the state's aerospace exports by $90 million in three years and create 600 to 700 jobs. That's partly because the global aerospace market is growing and Ohio companies, with a little training, are well-positioned to serve it.

"This industry, which no one knows about, is booming," says Donald Majcher, the vice president of technology and innovation partnerships at the aerospace institute. "Ohio makes airplane parts. We are the number one supplier to Boeing, to Airbus. We are tops on the list of many other airplane companies."

Majcher said aircraft manufacturers are demanding more parts and services as their operations grow overseas, often in fast developing nations like India and Brazil. He said many Ohio companies have the expertise to supply the parts but lack the connections, and export savvy, to take advantage.

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