Washington, DC – Today, GE Aviation presented their annual New Supplier Award to Ohio-based Bitec, a division of Sample Machining, Inc.. The manufacturer is one of four small businesses GE Aviation recognized for its commitment to quality, efficiency and excellence.
Mike Kauffman, General Manager, GE Aviation Supply Chain, presented the honor and was joined by Ohio Senator Rob Portman.
“As the business prepares to execute on a record number of orders this year, suppliers like Bitec play a critical role in helping our company remain one of the world’s leading providers of commercial and military jet engines and systems,” said Kauffman.
By the end of 2013, GE Aviation's multi-year backlog for equipment and services reached $125 billion, more than a 20 percent growth in one year. To deliver on these record orders, Bitec is one of more than 170 suppliers GE Aviation has brought on board in the last four years in an effort to identify and partner with small businesses.
GE Aviation spends $5B annually with large and small domestic manufacturers. With more than 1,500 active suppliers, GE Aviation supports more than 23,000 supplier jobs in the U.S
Bitec specializes in machining and fabrication and is supplying spacer brackets, connectors, couplings, clamp tubes and retainers for GE’s passport engine, which will power Bombardier’s Global 7000 and 8000 aircraft.
The Passport features some of today's most innovative aviation technology. GE invests more than $1 billion in research and development annually in military and commercial engines.
GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet and turboprop engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.