They say small is beautiful, and they don't come much smaller than Enterprise Florida's stand (E703). But as director Ken Cooksey points out: "We may be just one state, but we have a lot to offer. The organisation represents 1,400 companies with 90,000 employees, generating $15 billion of revenue - that's not small."
Cooksey says Florida is the only state in the USA that makes an effort to go out to a worldwide audience. "When people think of Florida they think of oranges, Mickey Mouse and the space shuttle, but we have excellent commercial and defence industries too," he says.
Evaluated
Two of the small companies represented on the stand are doing great business. Symetrics is based in Melbourne, Florida and has 55 employees. The company makes improved data modems (IDMs), one of which has been evaluated on a SEPECAT Jaguar at UK's DERA. And vice-president Ron Frye says he has been talking to representatives of the Omani air force about other possible applications. "If the F-16 Block 60 deal with the UAE comes off that's another possible application for us," he says.
Bryon Woram of Airlift Technologies agrees that the show is worthwhile. His 35-employee company in Crestview, Florida has worldwide sales of $5 million and builds specialist air drop systems. The company may be small, but it developed equipment for the Bosnia humanitarian missions and is involved with drop testing NASA's X-38 space station recovery vehicle in Arizona.
"We also handle airlift training on Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft for the UAE armed forces and have just signed a joint venture agreement with Hableel Engineering Enterprises (HEE) of Dubai at the show," he says.
Source: Flight Daily News
