← Research Desk SAMPLE BRIEFS — illustrative structure. Organizations shown are real & public; specific claims are source-verified on delivery.
Event Prep Sheet · Sample

AirVenture Oshkosh — Wisconsin aerospace contacts worth your time

Prepared for: [client] · Scope: Wisconsin, aviation manufacturing + avionics + MRO · 12 organizations · Public sources
This is a sample. In a live sheet each row is expanded with a specific first-contact name/role where public.
Client question
"I'm at AirVenture for three days. Who among the Wisconsin exhibitors and locals is actually worth a conversation for avionics, engine/component work, and MRO — and what should I ask them?"
Summary verdict

Wisconsin's strength at Oshkosh clusters around three things: avionics & secure connectivity (Milwaukee/Oak Creek), turbine and component work (Oshkosh/Fox Valley), and a dense small-supplier base that rarely markets itself. The list below prioritizes organizations you can reach in person during the week over primes you can email any time.

Who to meet · why · what to ask
OrganizationWhy it mattersWhat to askStatus
Astronautics Corporation of America — Oak Creek, WI src: astronautics.com — company site Avionics & secure connectivity; describes products across 150,000+ civil/military aircraft. Which subsystems are sourced locally vs. in-house? Open to small-lot suppliers? source-checked
Basler Turbo Conversions — Oshkosh, WI src: baslerturbo.com — company site Aircraft conversion + turbine work; on-field presence during AirVenture. What component or machining work is subcontracted regionally? source-checked
Sonex Aircraft — Oshkosh, WI src: sonexaircraft.com — company site Kit aircraft + experimental; strong builder/engineering network at the show. Which local fabricators/composite shops do they rely on? source-checked
Wisconsin Aviation — Madison, WI src: wisconsinaviation.com — company site FBO + maintenance/services; a route into regional operators and MRO demand. What MRO capabilities are in-region vs. sent out of state? source-checked
Regal Rexnord — Aerospace Solutions — Milwaukee, WI src: regalrexnord.com — company site Motion control / aerospace components at industrial scale. Qualification path for new component suppliers? listed
United Gear & Assembly — Hudson, WI src: WI aerospace industry profile (inwisconsin.com PDF) Precision gearing / components — the kind of small supplier hard to find otherwise. Aerospace-grade certifications held? Capacity for new programs? needs-review

+ 6 more in the full sheet (Phoenix LLC / Madison; EPS; regional machine shops from the WEDC profile).

Recommended first move
  • Day 1: Astronautics + Basler (both anchor-level, both on-field).
  • Day 2: Sonex builder network → ask each for two local fabricators they trust.
  • Bring the "needs-review" rows a direct question — verifying them in person is free intel.
Based on public sources and human review. Not certification, procurement advice, or endorsement. Statuses: source-checked = source opened & confirmed on check date · listed = from a reliable source, direct confirmation pending · needs-review = signal exists, manual verification required.
Test Path Shortlist · Sample

Avionics qualification — candidate labs & standards path

Need: DO-160G / EMI-EMC / vibration / shock / thermal / lightning · Scope: Midwest-first, U.S. fallback · Public sources
This is a sample. A live map adds exact facility locations, accreditation scope, and a per-lab question set.
Client question
"We have an airborne electronics box. Which labs can help us understand and run the right DO-160 environments, and what should we confirm before requesting a quote?"
What this is — and is not

This is a source-checked shortlist of candidate labs, what each publicly states it can test, and the standard language to use. It is not a certification, an accreditation guarantee, or a recommendation of one lab over another. Accreditation scope must be confirmed directly with each facility.

Candidate labs
LabPublic capabilityWhy relevantOpen question
Element Materials Technology src: element.com — service pages RTCA DO-160 across dynamics, climatic, EMI/EMC; notes ITAR/EAR engagements. Broad single-partner coverage of most DO-160 sections. Exact facility for your box? Lead time & quote?
E-Labs Inc. src: e-labs.com — service pages DO-160 dynamic/vibration, environmental/electrical; ISO 17025. Focused avionics compliance; useful fallback. Virginia location — acceptable vs. Midwest preference?
NIAR — Wichita State src: WI/KS state logic — needs direct confirm Test & certification infrastructure in the Air Capital cluster. Closest strong Midwest test node. Which DO-160 sections are in current accreditation scope?
NASA JSC — Thermal Vacuum src: nasa.gov — JSC TVAC page Thermal-vacuum for spaceflight hardware. Reference-level benchmark, not a commercial first stop. Use to understand what "serious" TVAC looks like.
Red flags to check before you pay for anything
  • No DO-160 mentioned on the lab's own pages → likely wrong fit.
  • Unclear accreditation (no ISO 17025 or scope not published) → confirm in writing.
  • "Aerospace" but no aviation history → ask for comparable programs.
Next action
  1. Send the same 4-question set (above) to Element + NIAR first.
  2. Hold E-Labs as fallback; keep NASA JSC only as a capability benchmark.
  3. Confirm accreditation scope in writing before any quote request.
Based on public sources and human review. Accreditation and test scope must be verified directly with each facility. Not certification or procurement advice.
Supplier Shortlist · Sample

Midwest precision machining & components — candidate suppliers

Need: aerospace-grade CNC machining + fabricated components · Scope: Wisconsin / Michigan / Ohio · Public sources
This is a sample. A live shortlist runs 10–20 rows with a capability matrix and fit score per supplier.
Client question
"We need alternate qualifiable suppliers for aerospace-grade machined components in the Midwest. Who's worth approaching, and how confident can we be from public sources alone?"
Summary verdict

The Midwest supplier base is deep but poorly indexed — most capable shops market minimally. The candidates below are grouped by confidence: anchor-level names confirmed from company sources, plus smaller shops surfaced from state industry profiles that need direct qualification. Public sources establish existence and stated capability only; qualification (AS9100, program fit, capacity) must be confirmed directly.

Candidate suppliers
SupplierPublic capabilityFit noteStatus
Roush Industries — MI src: roush.com — company site Engineering + advanced manufacturing; additive & propulsion-adjacent. Strong for prototype-to-production; likely capacity screen needed. source-checked
Merrill Technologies Group — Saginaw, MI src: company source Large fabrication + advanced manufacturing. Good for larger structures; confirm aerospace program history. listed
Barron Industries — MI src: barron-industries.com — company site Precision casting / components. Casting route if applicable to the part family. source-checked
United Gear & Assembly — Hudson, WI src: WEDC aerospace profile PDF Precision gearing / machined components. Promising small supplier; qualification unknown. needs-review
Timken Aerospace — OH src: timken.com — company site Bearings / precision components. Anchor-grade; better for volume than prototype. source-checked
What public sources can and cannot tell you
  • Can: existence, location, stated capability, publicly listed certifications, hiring signals.
  • Cannot (needs direct contact): current capacity, program-specific qualification, financial health, contract depth.
Next action
  1. Approach the 3 source-checked anchors first with a capability + capacity screen.
  2. Treat "needs-review" rows as free field intel — a 10-minute call resolves them.
  3. Ask each for AS9100 status and one comparable program up front.
Candidate suppliers, not verified/approved suppliers. Public-source evidence establishes existence and stated capability only. Qualification must be confirmed directly. Not procurement advice.