CHICAGO, IL – June 25, 2008 – Northstar Aerospace, Inc. received a Value Engineering Achievement Award today from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for developing an innovative process to overhaul assembly covers for transmission housings used on the AH-64 Apache helicopter.
Value engineering is a systematic process of function analysis to identify actions that reduce cost, increase quality and improve mission capabilities across the spectrum of DoD systems, processes and organizations. The DoD realized more than $4 billion in savings and cost avoidance resulting from value engineering during 2007.
Michael Shebelski, Chief Technical Engineer at Northstar's manufacturing facility in Chicago, lead the development of the new process. He accepted the award on behalf of the company during a ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
Northstar manufactures nose gearboxes and transmissions for the AH-64 Apache helicopter and provides spares and maintenance, repair and overhaul services direct to the U.S. government.
"This award is a tribute to the engineering and technical competence of Northstar employees and demonstrates our ability to innovate in ways that help our customers achieve their goals. Michael Shebelski who led this project, is an experienced aerospace engineer and deserved to accept this important award on behalf of the entire company," said Glenn Hess, President and Chief Executive Officer, Northstar Aerospace, Inc.
The DoD's Value Engineering Achievement Awards are given annually to recipients from the U.S. Army, Department of the Navy, Air Force, Defense Logistics Agency and the Missile Defense Agency.
Northstar Aerospace, Inc. (www.nsaero.com) is North America's leading independent manufacturer of flight critical gears and transmissions. Northstar Aerospace is a public company (TSX:NAS) with operating subsidiaries in the United States and Canada. Its principal products include helicopter gears and transmissions, accessory gearbox assemblies, rotorcraft drive systems and other machined and fabricated parts. It also provides maintenance, repair and overhaul of helicopter engines and transmissions. The Company's executive offices are located in Chicago, Illinois. Its plants are located in Chicago, Illinois; Phoenix, Arizona; Stroud, Oklahoma; Anderson, Indiana; and Milton and Windsor, Ontario.
