Lockheed Martin Selects Fort Walton Machining

Lockheed Martin honored Fort Walton Machining Inc. in a ceremony highlighting the company's designation as a 2010 Lockheed Martin Small Business of the Year. FWMI is a current small business supplier to Lockheed Martin's F-35, F-22, F-16, and C-130J programs and participates with Lockheed Martin in the U.S. Department of Defense Mentor-Protege program.

Officials attending the ceremony included U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, Florida 1st District; State Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida 4th District; Mike Anderson, mayor of Fort Walton Beach; Col. David Hlatky, USAF 33rd Fighter Wing Commander, Eglin AFB, Fla.; and other Florida government officials. FWMI was represented by Greg Britton, chief executive officer, and Tim M. McDonald, secretary and treasurer. Hosting the ceremony were Lockheed Martin's J.R. McDonald, vice president of Northwest Florida Operations, and Tom Simmons, vice president of supply chain management.

"I am pleased to present this 2010 Lockheed Martin Small Business of the Year Award to Fort Walton Machining," Simmons says. "We are impressed by Fort Walton Machining's high level of contributions as a supplier to the success of Lockheed Martin's F-35, F-22, F-16, and C-130J programs. It is clear that this company is committed to sustaining excellence and quality in every aspect of manufacturing operations-- including superior customer service."

FWMI's Greg Britton accepting the award says, "Fort Walton Machining is proud to be a Lockheed Martin Small Business of the Year and a partner with them in DoD's Mentor-Protege Program. We intend to learn as much as we can through this partnership, and our intent is to become an even more valuable strategic partner to Lockheed Martin and other defense-related customers by taking our company to the next level."

Britton adds, "We are so proud of our new metal finishing division facility that you see before us today. This state-of-the art facility allows our company to continue to grow by expanding our capabilities, our customer-base, and eventually our employee-base. We appreciate the mentoring we received so far through the Mentor-Protege Program, and also the Lockheed Martin technical experts who helped guide us through the F-35 parts certification process."

The mentor-protege agreement between FWMI and Lockheed Martin was signed in the fall of 2010. Over the one-year period of the mentor-protege relationship, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics will assist and guide FWMI in the further development and refinement of the manufacturing and management processes needed to better serve its key aerospace and defense, and commercial markets.

"The Mentor Protege Program is the ideal way to share best practices, enhance skill sets, technology and opportunities for small businesses. Fort Walton Machining is exactly the kind of supplier we seek as protege partners. Their cost, quality, and delivery performance on several of our aircraft platforms is nothing short of excellent. They have the unmistakable potential to meet critical requirements for high quality components across a number of our platforms," Simmons states. "We look forward to working with Fort Walton Machining to make this a true win-win proposition."

The DoD Mentor-Protege Program, established in 1991, assists small businesses (proteges) in competing for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with large companies (mentors) under individual, project-based agreements.