LOUISVILLE, KY – The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers’ (KAM) Defense and Aerospace Council (DAC) will meet on July 16 to hear from one of the country’s foremost aerospace journalists, Matthew Fulco, Business Editor of Aviation Week.
The DAC works to promote and grow Kentucky’s defense and aerospace sector, which encompasses companies designing and building products and components for use in space, aviation, national and international security, logistics, advanced air mobility, and the closely related fields of energy, safety, and other transportation modalities.
Mr. Fulco is part of the reporting team that won the 2024 Neal Award for Best Single Issue of a Tabloid/Newspaper/Magazine (Aviation Week’s Aerospace & Defense 2024) and the team that produced a special report on China (The China Conundrum) published in September and October 2023 that is a finalist for the Aerospace Media Awards Best Aerospace and Defense Submission.
Council Chair and KAM Board Member Amy Wombwell, COO and Co-Founder of BlackBox Energy Systems, an energy technology company based in Owingsville, KY, said, “The Defense and Aerospace Council is about more than Kentucky’s world-renowned national security and logistics manufacturers. It also covers the myriad of small- and medium-sized businesses in their supply chains.”
“This sector drives innovation, creates highly skilled jobs, and contributes to America’s competitive edge in global markets,” Wombwell said. “Ongoing investment, support, and education are required to ensure manufacturing excellence continues to drive economic growth in Kentucky.”
Aerospace is a multi-billion-dollar industry in Kentucky. According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development:
- Kentucky is home to more than 100 aerospace-related facilities that employ more than 23,000 people.
- Kentucky has announced roughly 40 aerospace-related projects since 2017, totaling more than $1.1 billion in investment and the announcement of more than 2,800 jobs.
- In 2022, Kentucky exported nearly $10.5 billion in aerospace products and parts.
“Kentucky is a vital part of our country’s national security infrastructure both because it is home to four of the nation’s vital military bases and because of its expanding defense and aerospace sector,” said KAM President and CEO Frank Jemley III. “These companies are creating Kentucky jobs and attracting new investment, all while helping to protect our nation.”
About the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers
Our mission at the Kentucky Association of Manufacturers is to make a better Kentucky by promoting and growing manufacturing and the economic opportunities it creates in the Commonwealth. Learn more at KAM.us.com.
