Aerospace and defense contractors to gather at Tilles Center

Executives of Long Island aerospace and defense contractors are scheduled to gather at the Tilles Center on the LIU Post campus in Brookville on Dec. 4 at an event designed to bolster the region’s profile as a full-service supplier.

“We still have this humongous industry here,” said Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who organized the meeting. “We need to identify as a cluster of aerospace contractors. High-tech Island is the brand I want to promote.”

The event is designed to bring together executives from prime contractors such as Boeing, Raytheon, General Electric, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman with those from Long Island companies that could supply parts and assemblies for their major weapons systems.

Suozzi said the meeting will help Long Island companies learn how to better address the needs of the defense giants. “We have at least 250 aerospace and defense contractors on Long Island,” the freshman congressman said.

Speakers at the event will include Eric Chewning, who in October was named deputy assistant secretary of defense for manufacturing and industrial base policy. The Army veteran previously was a partner with McKinsey & Co.

The event is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

By Ken Schachter

kenneth.schachter@newsday.comkschach

Ken Schachter covers corporate news, including technology and aerospace, and other business topics for Newsday. He has also worked at The Miami Herald and The Jerusalem Post.