Mark Hannant

An aluminium model of a boy and his canine best friend sit guarding the Benecor stand. This year marks the first Farnborough visit for the Kansas manufacturer of welded metallic foil.

Its honeycomb structures are found in a multitude of hi-tech products including racing cars, aircraft and space vehicles, plus road and rail transport. The honeycomb can be shaped into contoured shapes that boast strength and reliability at very low mass. Benecor uses alloys of titanium, nickel stainless steel and aluminium and sells to US manufacturers. But it believes it will find European customers at the Show.

Benecor is one of six companies from the state of Kansas represented at the stand (Hall 2A/37). And, in a show of support for Kansas business, the state's lieutenant governor, Gary Sheerer, is here at the show for two days. "It's important for the companies over here representing that region of the US that they get some support," says Kiley Sanders, International trade representative for the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing and co-ordinator of the delegation.

Promote

"Kansas has very strong links with the aerospace industry. Obviously we want to promote our talent and capabilities to a European audience, but we're also interested in talking to companies who see the state of Kansas as a place to locate their US operations," he adds.

Also on show at the stand is Andersen Fine Scale Replicas, maker of hand-painted wooden models of aircraft. The company has corporate clients for whom it makes bespoke gifts but also sells a range of models of commercial aircraft to the public.

Mid-State Aerospace produces fasteners and hoses. Again, its customers are US-based but with its first visit to the show it hopes to elicit interest from European manufacturers.

For Ice Corporation this is the second visit to Farnborough. It manufactures electronic panels and de-icers and is currently working with Dowty Aerospace on propeller de-icers.

Unirex, a fastenings manufacturer and Keddeg, which makes coalescers and air filters and has already established a presence in the European market, are also represented.

"This is the second time the state of Kansas has had a stand. We were pleased with the response, and are very pleased to be introducing some new colleagues this time," says Sanders.

Source: Flight Daily News