CMC Electronics' president and CEO Jim Close is glad he occasionally gets things wrong. "A year ago I predicted a downturn in the market. But it just hasn't happened for us," he says.

On the commercial side of the business CMC (Hall 5a, C6-D6-E6) is celebrating the success of its Suresight Enhanced Vision System (EVS). Although CMC is the second company to market with an EVS product, after Gulfstream/Kollsman, Bombardier has already selected Suresight for the Global Express and G-5000. CMC produces the EVS infra-red sensor while Thales produces the head-up display. Close says the company hopes to build on its initial sales next year.

Portfolio

"Customers with EVS are getting landing credits now so that has put some real energy into the market. People are going to start demanding EVS soon," he says.

"We've also repositioned ourselves as a pure aerospace company by selling off our military and Northstar communications products businesses. And we recently bought Flight Visions, which adds quite a bit to our flight portfolio." Close says the down-turn in the commercial market has had little effect on the company.

"Over the last two years we have actually grown slightly," he says, "But we do sell largely into the after-market, such as with 747 upgrades. In the last year we have sold into JAL and Qantas and hope to announce two further deals during the show."

Exciting

CMC also has a 90% share of the world market for electronically-steered antennas and has added other products including the CT-1000G electronic flightbag. "This is our first show with our expanded production offering and we've got a lot to show, including head-up displays, mission computers, and helmet interface units," Close says.

"Our most exciting products include our integrated cockpits. We've sold full glass cockpits for the new Raytheon T6-B and Korea Aerospace Industries KT-1C trainer."

Jim Close says CMC is also making progress on getting people to call the company by its correct name, after the company was spun-off from BAE Systems in April 2001. "I still get people calling us 'The Canadian Marconi Company', but I don't object!" he concludes.

Source: Flight Daily News

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