Major Aerospace Players

In the United States, the aerospace industry has wide-ranging effects. With receipts totaling over $170 billion last year, the volume of products, the number of jobs and the effect on worldwide transportation and commerce is staggering.

 

 

Chicago-based Boeing, which merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997, is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial and military aircraft. Boeing also works closely with NASA and operates the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station.

 

Boeing's work force, over 150,000 strong, is distributed across 70 different countries. The company's sales totaled over $61 billion in 2006.

 

Boeing is well-known for its large commercial jetliners, which represent approximately 75 percent of all airliners flying in the world today. The company also services these aircraft with its Commercial Aviation Services department. Boeing is also the world's second largest defense industry provider, creating systems and platforms for military customers, from building jets to missile defense systems.

Lockheed Martin is a main player in the aerospace industry. The current incarnation of the company resulted from a 1995 merger between two other aerospace giants: Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation.

 

In 2006, Lockheed Martin posted sales of nearly $40 billion. The Bethesda, Md.-based company employs approximately 140,000 people throughout the world.

 

The company focuses on aeronautic design, development and manufacturing for both the military and public sectors and space systems development (space launches, satellites and strategic missiles), with the largest segment of its business coming from systems and Internet technology to support aerospace customers' need for integrated computer systems.

United Technologies Corporation, or UTC, is based in Hartford, Conn. The company, which employs over 215,000 people in 62 different countries, has very distinct business divisions, which in addition to aerospace, include:

UTC ranks as number 20 on the list of largest U.S. manufacturers and saw sales of over $47 billion in 2006. The company has also been named the "Most Admired Aerospace and Defense Company" six years running by Fortune magazine.

Northrop Grumman (NG), headquartered in Los Angeles, is another major aerospace and defense player. Employing 120,000 throughout the world, the company's yearly sales are over $31.5 billion.

 

The company's business areas focus primarily on defense and technology systems. NG provides major information systems, such as:

The company also produces a wide range of satellites along with support for those products. The company's aerospace production includes both manned and unmanned aircraft, excellent for reconnaissance work.

Raytheon Company, based in Waltham, Mass., specializes in defense and intelligence systems. The employee roster is 72,000 people strong, and the company's 2006 sales topped $20 billion.

 

Raytheon's services include integrated defense systems (connecting different parts of the armed forces), intelligence and information systems (including systems for Homeland Security), as well as missile and satellite systems.

A smaller-scale, but still large, company in the aerospace industry is Honeywell. The company employs 40,000 people and has yearly sales that top $11 billion. The Phoenix-based company focuses on service solutions for larger manufacturers and airlines, providing engine and service solutions as well as integrated avionics for those segments of the industry.

 

While there are many more aerospace companies, those listed above are some of the most significant American players. Given the industry tendency to merge and grow, there is no doubt that they will remain dominant in the field in one incarnation or another for many years to come.

 

 

Boeing (2008). About Us. Retrieved January 22, 2008, from the Boeing Web site: http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/brief.html.

 

Honeywell (2008). About Us. Retrieved January 22, 2008, from the Honeywell Web site: http://www51.honeywell.com/aero/AboutUs/Our-Company.html.

 

Northrop Grumman (2008). About Us. Retrieved January 22, 2008, from the Northrop Grumman Web site: http://www.northropgrumman.com/about_us/index.html.

 

UTC (2008). About Us. Retrieved January 22, 2008, from the UTC Web site: http://www.utc.com/profile/facts/index.htm.